Many American workers struggle to access primary healthcare. To address this problem, an increasing number of employers are turning to onsite care programs. In fact, according to a 2021 survey conducted by the National Association of Worksite Health Centers (NAWHC) and Mercer , 33% of organizations with at least 5,000 employees offer a primary care clinic to their workers. For employers with 20,000 or more employees, that number rises to 38%. Until now, only large employers could afford onsite clinic programs, but today solutions exist for employers with as few as 150 employees.
But what exactly is an onsite clinic? NAWHC defines it as a “setting where an employer or union offers one or more medical and wellness services, delivered by licensed providers, to all or a designated portion of its active population and other eligible individuals.” Also referred to as “wellness centers,” onsite clinics originally began as occupational health centers where workers could be treated for minor injuries that occurred on the job. Today, they have expanded into providing primary care and other services.
OOnsite care offers several important benefits for employers and their employees. According to NAWHC, these include:
Although not all organizations can support onsite clinics, for many employers, they are a realistic and effective option. Consider the following when determining whether your company is a good fit for an onsite clinic:
A foundation of high-quality care goes a long way to creating and retaining healthier, happier employees and controlling the total cost of care. To reach that goal, consider the following in your strategy for implementing an onsite care program:
Many times, employer health incentive programs are linked to wellness goals that must be reached first, such as obtaining biometric screenings or attending health coach visits. These are also ways to bring employees into the clinic for the first time and begin to create relationships with onsite providers.
The location of the health clinic can also impact utilization. Employees are more likely to visit an onsite clinic based on its accessibility and visibility as well as the privacy and professionalism it provides . However, some employers may lack the space to establish a permanent onsite clinic. Fortunately, companies like Hamilton Health Box offer mobile solutions in which medical staff establish temporary clinics in unused conference rooms or offices. In these scenarios, patients receive high-quality care that is delivered with current technolog y—and in a convenient setting.
Virtual care, or telehealth, is playing an increasingly important role in the delivery of primary healthcare services. According to the Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, the percentage of primary care physicians using telehealth grew from 5.3% before the COVID-19 pandemic to 46.2% during the pandemic. Furthermore, more than 70% of physicians participating in the study stated that they intended to use telehealth after the pandemic, compared to just 18.7% before.
Virtual care is just as important in the onsite setting. Blending the personalization of onsite clinics with the convenience of telehealth gives employers opportunities to increase the amount and type of care available to employees. Results of a recent survey conducted by the Business Group on Health anticipate growth in the virtual primary care offered by employers from 32 % in 2022 to 69 % in 2025 . Furthermore, 57 % of employers plan to add even more virtual health solutions in 2023.
If onsite care sounds like an effective way to create a healthy and happy employee population while managing costs for everyone, Hamilton Health Box staff can recommend onsite care approaches to best meet your needs. We provide a unique hybrid approach of in-person and telehealth services and work with employers to determine the service mix and onsite availability that is right-sized for employers’ populations. Find out more about how we can help you build an onsite care plan that’s aligned with the needs of your business: Book a 1:1 meeting today!
