Sherburne County officials are looking into adding an employee medical clinic as part of the Government Center Expansion project.

 

At a workshop Tuesday, Laurie Hurtgen, senior manager of on-site clinics with Health Partners, gave a presentation about Well@Work on-site clinics and their benefits to employees. 

 

She said Well@Work on-site clinics can provide medical care at a lower cost and allows employees the convenience of shorter clinic time visits.

 

Some of the benefits include controlling health spending, reducing lost employee time and improving member access to healthcare.

 

Well@Work on-site clinics offer a complete range of services.

 

“We’re not just an acute care clinic,” she said. “We’re not just servicing those who come in not feeling well.”

 

The scope of services includes primary care, management of chronic conditions, preventive services, occupational health, laboratory services and an on-site pharmacy.

 

Employees can make appointments on-line and not have to travel somewhere else in the community - or outside the community, to see a healthcare professional, said Hurtgen.

 

While an average appointment at an off-site primary care clinic or urgent care could take two to three hours and cost $160, an average Well@Work clinic visit would use up about 30 minutes and cost under $100.

 

Hurtgen said Health Partners is currently operating 17 Well@Work clinics, serving more than 65,000. 

 

She said there is a bit of a risk when a clinic is opened because employees have to use it for it to be successful.

 

The estimated cost to operate the proposed clinic for three days a week in Sherburne County would be $310,500 a year. That includes management services, a nurse practitioner, medical director oversight, pharmacy administration,  lab director and supplies.

 

Hurtgen said the county’s costs would drop as employee participation increases. She said the county would begin to see savings once the clinic saw nine patients a day. 

 

Bill Keller, Central Services Director with Anoka County, said their clinic has had over 17,000 visits since it opened in May, 2011.

 

He estimated the clinic has saved between $1.7 million and $2.6 million since then in healthcare costs and more than 20,000 hours in flexible time off.

 

Administrator Steve Taylor said the goal for Sherburne County will be to get as many people to use the clinic as possible, instead of travelling off-site for medical care.

 

Human Resources Director Tammy Bigelow said the county has 689 employees eligible to use the clinic, and about 1,250 including spouses and dependents.

 

The proposed clinic would be located on the second floor in the existing Government Center building overlooking the atrium. Although there is no specific opening date. If the county board gives its approval, Taylor said staff was looking at October 2018. But it all depends on construction.

 

Hurtgen said she typically needs three to six months to recruit people for the clinic.