Employee Health Clinic 101: Your Guide

Employee Health Clinic 101 takes you through the ins and outs of onsite employee health clinics, why companies are building them, primary benefits, and more. 

We don't need to remind you that health care is expensive and is one of a company's most considerable workforce-related costs. And unfortunately, it won't improve any time soon. In fact, according to a recent report from Mercer, health benefit costs will accelerate in 2023.

What's more, the average primary care exam lasts less than 20 minutes. That's not enough to treat the complex healthcare problems many employees face today – especially when you factor in the current mental health crisis.

That's why the companies with the strongest commitment to employee health and wellbeing are going in a different direction and investing in more programs and services – from fitness and meditation classes to onsite vaccinations and employee health clinics.

While building an onsite health clinic may seem like a new concept, we've been at this for over a decade. NeoPath has helped dozens of companies in industries like manufacturing, education, entertainment, and more reduce their health benefit costs and provide better healthcare support to their teams.  

In Employee Health Clinic 101, we answer the most common employee health clinic questions that we're asked by human resources and benefits leaders, including:

• What is an onsite health clinic?
• Why your company needs an employee health clinic
• The benefits of onsite health clinics
• Why are companies using onsite health clinics?
• How onsite health clinics can improve employee health and wellness

Employee Health Clinic 101: What is an onsite health clinic?

An onsite health clinic is defined as employers offering one or more health and wellness services – delivered by licensed practitioners – to all or a portion of eligible employees and their family members.

These clinics are growing in popularity as a strategy to improve employee health and wellness and manage rising healthcare costs. In many cases, services are expanding beyond basic occupational health and safety to include: 

• Wellness initiatives – such as weight loss, health risk assessments, and health education
• Mental health services – including self-led or group workshops and one-on-one counseling
• Preventative care – like health screenings, flu shots, and annual physical checkups
• Acute care – such as the short-term treatment of illnesses such as colds, the flu, minor infections, or minor sprains and cuts
• Condition and disease management – including the ongoing treatment of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease
• Specialty care – like orthopedics, dietetics, physical therapy, and pharmacy

While onsite clinics may share some or all these services, they're not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Most employers customize their services and clinic staffing to meet their company's needs, offering flexibility that traditional healthcare plans don't.

Why your company needs an onsite employee health clinic

Between COVID-related health concerns and other societal stressors, the last few years have taken a toll on workers and companies. Here's just one example. According to Benefits Pro, nine million people missed work from late December 2021 to early January 2022 due to the Omicron variant surge.

But even when we're not amid a pandemic, employee illness can significantly impact your business – and your bottom line. Everything from productivity, safety, engagement, and company culture is affected when employees are sick. And when it comes to illness, no industry, region, or sector is immune to these effects.

The benefits of onsite health clinics 

At NeoPath, we believe that what's good for employees is also good for business. When we partner with Chief Experience Officers and HR benefit leaders, our goals are to help them create a stronger team of employees – and a competitive advantage for the company.

Learn about the benefits to employees and employers in this section of Employee Health Clinic 101.

Primary benefits to employees:

• Convenient access – employees are more likely to seek preventive services, get treatment for illnesses, and keep up with prescriptions if convenient. So, ease of access is paramount. An onsite clinic means no driving time or waiting in crowded lobbies. Employees can take care of their health and don't need to take significant time away from work.
• Better care – onsite medical staff can spend more time with your employees, get to know them, catch health issues early, and better manage chronic conditions.    
• Improved health outcomes – sick employees miss more work days than healthy employees. And when employees are more dialed into their health, they're less likely to have undiagnosed or untreated conditions or to require hospital visits or surgeries.

Primary benefits to employers:  

• Productivity gains – in the simplest terms, healthy employees are more productive and produce higher quality work than their unhealthy co-workers. When employees must leave the workplace for appointments, they're often gone for hours when you factor in their drive time, clinic wait times, and follow-up. That time can increase if employees need labs, diagnostic testing, or have prescriptions to pick up. Onsite clinics can significantly reduce this time, allowing employees to get the care they need while still having a productive day.   
• Cost management – as employee health improves, your total claims will decline. And when employees have better access to primary care, it reduces visits to more expensive specialists. For example, when employees can get first aid or have minor illnesses treated onsite, they're less likely to seek treatment in the emergency department. In this example, costs are lower for both the employee and the employer.

Keep reading Employee Health Clinic 101 to learn why businesses invest in onsite health clinics. 

Why are companies opening onsite health clinics?

In our experience working with dozens of mid-sized companies, we've found they share similar reasons for investing in their employees' health:

• Employee engagement – they want happier, healthier employees who are engaged in their work and committed to the company's success.
• Talent retention – they view an onsite health clinic as a helpful employee retention tool – especially in today's tight labor market.
• Talent attraction – they know that benefits are important when candidates decide which company to join. An onsite clinic can be a helpful talent attraction magnet that helps differentiate your employer brand.
• Social responsibility – they see it as part of their civic responsibility and believe they're contributing to their local community by keeping employees and their families healthy.

How onsite health clinics can improve employee health and wellness

Building a wellness culture

When medical professionals are within walking distance of every employee, health becomes top of mind and part of the company culture. That means your employees will be more interested in and aware of health-related issues and more motivated to manage their health. Plus, a team with a healthy outlook is more productive, engaged, and efficient.

Providing better preventive care

Onsite clinics can increase employee awareness of health-related challenges that might affect them. For example, you could promote services related to health screenings or certain diseases like diabetes. Or you can offer specific programs tailored to your team's needs, such as mental health counseling.

Creating stronger healthcare relationships

Employees who see the same medical practitioner for their primary care needs can establish a rapport and build a stronger relationship. This promotes more open dialogue and gives employees a reason to be more proactive about their health and care. This can lead to lifestyle changes that prevent future health crises.

Growing and adapting to your team

A strong employee health clinic is created and staffed to meet your unique workforce needs. That makes adapting and growing your services easier as your company's needs change.  

Going beyond Employee Health Clinic 101: Want to learn more about employee health clinics?

Did you like what you read in this post?

You're ready to reduce your claim burdens, eliminate traditional healthcare incentives that drive up costs and provide more personalized care to your team. In that case, an employee health clinic may be for you. And with the right partner, it's easier than you think.

Each NeoPath implementation varies based on a company's needs, but we follow a proven, standardized process for every engagement. We're guided by the idea that there's no substitute for creating a relationship with the patient.

Our employee health clinic staff is committed to creating genuine connections with your employees and providing diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and education all in one place.

When you partner with us, getting started and running your clinic smoothly is easy. Contact us today to learn more about this win-win benefit and determine whether it's a feasible option for your company, contact us today.