Cisco is not alone, Pitney Bowes has created about a half dozen of these types of clinics as well. Intel has one too, but as the article states they all may have different focuses. The winner element for the employee is the convenience of course, and the employer also wins with loss of productivity time and most of the time will enjoy lower insurance rates for employees as well. Wellness is a big push for risk management with containing cost, something everyone is looking at today.
Some companies even announced this year that enrollment in wellness programs will become mandatory, as in the past, they have been optional, again to help keep the insurance rates lower for employees. Obesity is one big target of most wellness program.
At Cisco, even family members are allowed to use the center. The onsite clinics are not built to replace the primary care physician they state, but one thing to remember is now you have 2 facilities involved in your wellness and the potential of having records shared back and forth, especially with a personal health record. The employer wellness programs are still somewhat relatively new in concept and time will tell the story on how they integrate and work with patient primary care physicians as it has to be a partnership and not competition. As insurers continue to run their algorithms for risk management and employers with over 1000 employees are eligible for onsite clinics, we might being seeing an increase, and the element of adding one more available network to consult with your healthcare is a decision to be made by each individual, so once more read up and try to determine which road is better for you and perhaps figure out what levels of participation in an onsite clinic might be of benefit. BD
Cisco Systems' sleek new on-site health clinic looks more like a pampering day spa than a medical facility for the company's employees and their dependents. Patients sign in on wireless tablets. They chat with their doctors in private "care suites," anterooms equipped with large, high-definition screens where they can view and discuss their vitals and medical information before entering the exam room. Comfortable padded exam tables, a choice of robes or gowns and an en suite bathroom help salve any indignities that await.
The clinic, which opened for patients Nov. 24 at the networking equipment-maker's San Jose headquarters, is part of the company's new $38 million LifeConnections Center, which also includes an employee child care center that can accommodate 400 children and a 48,000-square-foot gym.
The Cisco clinic is staffed with four family-practice physicians and an internist, and the center hopes to add a pediatrician. It also offers physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic services, health coaching and a pharmacy operated by Walgreens. Unlike Cisco's center, Intel's clinics focus on providing basic services - immunizations, lab tests, travel medicine - along with preventive care services that are part of the company's wellness program.
At more U.S. employers, the doctor is in
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