7 Problems Onsite Health Care Can Solve

In recent years, many companies have added onsite wellness centers to their campuses. By being proactive and bringing care closer to their people, they’ve tackled some common healthcare headaches.

Headaches aside, what types of problems can onsite health care cure? Here are seven of the most common:

“My team can’t find time to go to the doctor.”

One of the most apparent benefits of providing an onsite clinic for your team members is the convenience. There’s no need to grab car keys or hop on the subway. Instead, people can simply walk down a flight of stairs and be at their appointment in minutes.

With providers in the community, it can take months to get on the calendar. In fact, the average wait to schedule a first-time appointment in many metropolitan areas is 24 days, a 30 percent wait time increase since 2014. With onsite clinics, scheduling your next appointment is easy. Once you arrive, there is little to no wait time until you see your provider.

“I want my team to have an exceptional healthcare experience.”

Onsite care is high-tech and high-touch, permitting providers to slow down and take the time to really get to know their patients. With easy access to a wellness center, many team members are encouraged not to skip preventive care.

Having a wellness center onsite can also open the door to unique employee health programs. One large employer started a specialty care program at its onsite wellness center after realizing many of its employees were skipping important care because of packed work schedules. By bringing in a gynecologist for well woman exams, and other specialists, it was able to better meet people’s healthcare needs and head off many future issues. The program was extremely successful and had a three-month waiting list after it launched.

“I want to help my people be more productive.”

It’s no secret: Healthier employees are more productive. Onsite care creates easier healthcare access for team members, which means people are more likely to visit the doctor for small, non-critical health problems. Those visits often fix the problem before it becomes bigger, like catching a sinus infection before it turns into pneumonia. Some wellness center operators offer online check-in, saving even more time for your team members.

“Healthcare costs keep going up.”

Onsite care aims to bend the cost curve, helping people live healthier lives by giving them easier access to healthcare. With easier access, critical health risks can be caught earlier. An employee may learn they have pre-diabetes and make changes before being diagnosed with Type 2, or avoid the ER by seeing a wellness center provider instead, or head off problems down the road by taking steps to quit smoking. Simply put, a proactive approach increases savings in the long run. When your team members aren’t putting off going to the doctor, you’ll see an increase in ROI on your overall benefits approach. If you also choose to add an onsite pharmacy to your wellness center, it can help address prescription costs by encouraging medication adherence and creating medication routines.

“My population is starting to become less healthy.”

If the health of your people is starting to decline, onsite health can be a solution. Adding in a condition management program helps address chronic conditions and reduce per-service costs, which lowers healthcare costs over time. When your people can regularly check in with a provider and stay on top of managing their health, less will be spent in the long run.

“My organization needs flexible healthcare solutions.”

Every organization is different. Onsite health centers are highly scalable and can meet every unique need. Many companies choose to implement what they need now with the potential to add more later. From primary care and pharmacy to fitness and dental, you can design solutions that address the specific needs of your people and their families, including dependents in your plan if it makes sense for your organization.

“We’re losing people! I need to recruit – and enhance retention.”

Providing an onsite wellness center at your organization can be a game-changer when it comes to attracting and retaining talented people. Many companies do not provide onsite health centers, making your business stand above the rest in terms of benefits. It’s a benefit no matter the market. People spend a lot of time at work, so making it easy to stay on top of health is valued as much in the suburbs and rural areas as busy cities. Onsite health presence sends a signal that the company cares about employees’ health and is a great place to work.

Premise Health is the leading direct healthcare provider offering onsite wellness centers, as well as nearsite and virtual access points. Learn more about onsite access to care and how it can benefit your teams.