The Village of Ashwaubenon and the Ashwaubenon School District utilize Bellin's onsite nurse coach, physical therapy services and primary care to help employees get and stay healthy.
“We have an outstanding partnership with the Ashwaubenon School District,” said Ashwaubenon Village Manager Joel Gregozeski, “and there was a desire between both entities to bring in an onsite clinic for improving health and wellness for both our employee pools.”
The results have been tremendous, with onsite clinics, skilled and beloved providers and mental health resources leading to health improvements and cost savings for employees and employers alike. It’s a recipe for success they’re eager to share with other entities looking to accomplish the same.
A+ Clinics, Providers Yield A+ Results
Both the district and the village have an onsite “A+ Clinic” that houses care team members, including a nurse coach and physical therapists, as well as a provider who makes rounds weekly in the buildings where people work to deliver care right to the doors of employees who need it.
Nurse Practitioner Marissa Zehren has been providing care at the Ashwaubenon A+ Clinics and in the schools for more than six years and has developed relationships with administrators and employees alike. They say it’s incredibly helpful for Bellin to take care of clinic staffing and have providers like Zehren show up ready to provide the best care possible. It’s critical to build relationships with patients so they feel cared for, Zehren said.
“I feel like I always put myself in their shoes and treat them like a family member,” Zehren said. “I want them to feel like they are heard.”
Healthier Employees — and a Healthier Bottom Line
Helping employees get and stay healthy is great for them, and it’s great for business, too. The convenience of care coupled with staff and health plan dollar savings have made the initial investment in an onsite healthcare provider more than worth it, village and district officials say. Employee satisfaction and retention increase with a healthier workforce, and prevention and early intervention can have a big financial impact, as well. What matters most is that employees have access to convenient, high-quality care so they can take the best possible care of themselves, said Ashwaubenon School District Assistant Superintendent Keith Lucius.
Working with Bellin is special because the health system works to keep the relationship open and progressing, Ashwaubenon officials say. Open, honest communication and conversations about what is best for employees and families have taken the services provided to a whole new level — and Zehren’s tenure has played a major role.
“I never would have guessed that so many of our staff would align with Marissa as their PCP (Primary Care Provider),” Lucius said, “and it’s one of the few times in my career that it was (a) cost savings — and the bigger benefit was that the employees viewed it as a benefit.”
An Ounce of Prevention
Preventive care and quick access to care play a major role in the village and school district’s approach to keeping employees healthy. A recent success story involved an employee who was able to quickly connect to mental health care, whereas officials said that individual may have had to wait much longer without the Bellin connection.
As village and school district officials look forward, providing quality healthcare despite the trend of rising costs remains a top priority. They know prevention is key and can save an organization millions of dollars in the long run — and it’s the right thing to do for the employees they count on.
“The biggest financial impact I believe the clinic has had over time is preventing or catching things early,” Lucius said. “It’s hard to put a dollar amount on those things.”
