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On-site clinics save companies money while improving employee health
photography:Tim Parker
W
hile on-site clinics have
become more common in
recent years, many businesses
are still hesitant to invest in
them. They may believe they need to have a
large number of employees to see a return on
investment, or that they need a large space
for the clinic to operate, but that is simply
not the case; an on-site clinic can benefit any
company that wants to lower its health care
expenses and improve its employees’ health.
Dr. Ken Rybicki has worked with the
on-site or near-site clinics for a number
of companies, helping them keep their
employees healthy.
“Employers need to go a step beyond just
doing a health fair and checking people’s blood
pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol,” Rybicki
says. “They need to aggressively follow up and
treat these conditions on-site. The only way to
make a difference on cost and benefits is to get
those conditions under control, and you can’t
do that unless you have somebody right there
working with employees.”
Doing so can make a difference to your
bottom line. On-site clinics generally refer
less than 10 percent of patients to specialists,
versus 30 percent for off-site clinicians, and
are more likely to prescribe generic drugs. In
addition, they assist employees in managing
chronic conditions, which can lead to fewer
high-dollar claims. And according to Mercer
Group, in their first year, on-site clinics have
saved as much as 25 percent in employee
health care costs over initial set-up costs.
Rybicki has worked with one employer
in Illinois for more than 15 years. When
the company’s leadership decided to revamp
its on-site clinic program four years ago to
track and treat chronic medical conditions, it
turned to him to help tailor a plan.
A problem and a solution
When the Illinois employer opened its on-site
clinic more than a decade ago, it provided
quick care for employees suffering from colds
and minor ailments. However, both the
employer and Rybicki, medical dir