School Board Signs CareHere to Provide Health Clinic
Newspaper Article Clipping VeroNews, Feb 25, 2014 by Debbie Carson
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River County School Board Tuesday night approved a three-year contract with CareHere to provide an employee health clinic School District employees and their families can use.
…CareHere is expected to provide services to employees who voluntarily sign up for the health clinic option beginning sometime around July 1… Visit VeroNews to view this full story. See our “In the News” page for more stories about center openings and successes.
1/27/2014 news report by GTN News discusses the reason why Levy County Schools is opening an Employee Healthcare Center with the help of CareHere and Crowne Consulting Group. The Levy County School Board is looking to keep employee health care costs from climbing too much through the act of increasing employee wellness and enhancing affordable access to quality care.
Enhanced Employee Benefits and Onsite Care Bring Lower Healthcare Costs
City of Leesburg’s Employee Wellness Center, operated by Crowne Consulting Group
and CareHere, has had high utilization of medical services and has decreased
employee healthcare costs. Crowne-Leesburg Press Release-11-14-13
Nov. 14, 2013 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Crowne Consulting Group, an employee benefits consulting firm specializing in onsite health and wellness centers in Florida, reports that the City of Leesburg has saved millions of dollars by adding a worksite health center for employees, retirees, and dependents covered under its healthcare plan.
The City of Leesburg’s Employee Wellness Center saved the city $1.3 million within the first year of opening in January 2011. The trend continued in 2012 with $459,000 in savings, and this year pushing $600,000 saved dollars back into the general fund.
Dann Herrin, Leesburg’s Assistant Director, Human Services, says these savings will increase because the city has recently added workers’ compensation, triage, and occupational health services through the employee wellness center, which is co-operated by Crowne Consulting Group and Tennessee-based CareHere, LLC.
“I think CareHere’s onsite care model has been outstanding, and the Crowne folks have been a wonderful resource – they’re always there when we need them,” said Herrin. “At first, I was skeptical if our employees would switch doctors and use the center, but the medical service providers were outstanding at keeping employees very comfortable.”
Approximately 86 percent of the city’s 1100 eligible members eagerly visited the center in the first year for primary care, screenings, and chronic disease management. A reputation of quality service and no out-of-pocket costs drove utilization up to 96 percent this year.
“It’s a win-win-win,” added Herrin. “Taxpayers save money, the city can reallocate savings for more resources, and the employees see outstanding financial savings while easily accessing care.”
About Crowne Consulting Group, Inc:
Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., founded in 1986, consults and provides administrative oversight services for onsite health and wellness centers to employers and is a related company with The Crowne Group, an employee benefits consulting firm, specializing in employer solutions and personal lines of insurance. Crowne’s experts have experience in serving public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, as well as private organizations. Solutions for consumer-driven plans include health reimbursement arrangements, self-funded plans, onsite health and wellness centers, as well as risk management and human resources consulting.
Four Steps to Lower Healthcare Costs: Benefits of Onsite Care During the Holidays
For a large number of corporations, businesses, and municipalities in Florida, employee health centers are just what the doctor ordered. Adopting the onsite health model is improving quality of employee healthcare while drastically decreasing costs.
Crowne Consulting Group, Inc. collaborates with Tennessee-based CareHere, LLC to operate more than 25 employee health and wellness centers throughout Florida. Crowne’s experts explain why easier access translates to lower costs for employers and employees, especially during the turbulent flu season and busy holidays.
1) Worksite health services reduce “time off” and increase incentives to seek medical care. Prompt attention is especially important during the Fall and Winter months, when flus and colds run rampant.
2) Employees pay zero copays and no deductibles, preventing delays for financial reasons. Employees can benefit from more cash in their pockets during the holidays. Free health risk assessments (HRAs) and lab work for evaluation of cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure can also be conducted onsite to uncover or mitigate health risks.
3) Primary care, labs, free prescriptions and more are fulfilled in one convenient visit. This saves time and serves as one more checkmark on the shopping list.
4) Disease management and wellness programs ensure chronic diseases are kept in check. No matter the season, disease management and wellness should remain a top priority for preventing illness and avoiding costly conditions.
Remember that when considering the launch of any cost-saving healthcare solution, experience is most important. Crowne Consulting Group’s team has expertise in serving corporations and private organizations as well as public sector employers. Crowne’s team strategically collaborates with CareHere LLC to help employers hire medical staff and operate health centers. CareHere operates more than 100 health centers nationwide, specializing in providing onsite healthcare through employers by making healthcare easier, better and more affordable.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pasco School District to Open 4th Health Center
Land O’Lakes, FL – (September 24, 2013) – The District School Board of Pasco County will hold a ribbon cutting and tours for its newest CareHere Health & Wellness Center at Hudson Middle School on Friday, September 27, at 10 a.m.
Superintendent Kurt Browning, School Board chairman Cynthia Armstrong, and School Board member Steve Luikart will be joined by Crowne Consulting Group/CareHere representatives and district Employee Benefits staff for the short program that will precede the ribbon cutting. The Center will be open the rest of the day for staff and family members to tour.
Employees, retirees, and dependents covered by the District School Board of Pasco County’s group health plan (Florida Blue, formerly Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida) can receive medical services including treatment for primary care, lab work, medication, x-rays, and more at no out-of-pocket cost at any onsite CareHere Health Center. Other centers are located near Gulf High School, Land O’ Lakes High School, and Centennial Middle School.
Crowne Consulting Group, an employee benefits consulting firm, is co-administrator of more than 25 health centers throughout Florida, helping Tennessee-based partners CareHere surpass a milestone of 100 centers nationwide.
District employees and retirees can schedule appointments at any of the District’s four CareHere Health & Wellness Centers by calling 1.877.423.1330, or logging on to www.CareHere.com. The new CareHere Health & Wellness Center is located at 14730 Cobra Way, Hudson; however, Google Maps does not have that address in the proper location. See the map below for the exact location, and if you plan to use GPS, use the middle school address, 14540 Cobra Way.
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Pasco Schools Media Contact: Linda Cobbe, Director Communications & Government Relations, (813)794-2717 / (727)774-2717 / (352)524-2717.
Visit Crowne’s “In the News” page for more information about Health and Wellness Centers across the state of Florida. See Event Photos below.
Ribbon Cutting for Pasco Schools’ 4th CareHere Center
Jason Tomlinson at Pasco School’s 4th Healthcare Center Ribbon Cutting 9-27-13
September 12, 2013 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Crowne Consulting Group is proud to announce that Pasco County School Board has been awarded the Healthiest Employers Award 2013 in the category for 1500+ employees. Read the full article about Pasco’s successes in the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Crowne Consulting Group Client Nominated for Healthiest Employer Awards
August 19, 2013 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Crowne Consulting Group, an employee benefits consulting firm specializing in onsite health and wellness centers, is proud to announce that our client, The District School Board of Pasco County, is being recognized for outstanding achievements in their employee wellness successes.
The District has been named a finalist for the 2013 Healthiest Employer Awards, which is being presented by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
The award honors organizations that have made a rewarding realization — a healthier workplace means happier employees who are more productive, use less sick time, and remain loyal longer. The finalists’ ranking order will be revealed at a Tampa Bay Business Journal luncheon at the Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center on Sept. 12.
Crowne Consulting Group collaborates with CareHere LLC in operating three Health & Wellness Centers for Pasco schools’ employees, dependents, and retirees. For zero deductibles and no costs, the District’s health-plan members have free access to primary medical, screenings, lab work, X-rays, EKG, occupational health, wellness programs, disease management, and generic prescriptions.
About Crowne Consulting Group: Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., founded in 1986, consults and provides administrative oversight services for onsite health and wellness centers to employers and is a related company with The Crowne Group, an employee benefits consulting firm, specializing in employer solutions and personal lines of insurance. Crowne’s experts have a cumulative 100 years of experience in serving public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, as well as private organizations. Solutions for consumer-driven plans include health reimbursement arrangements, self-funded plans, onsite health and wellness centers, as well as risk management and human resources consulting.
For more information about launching an effective health and wellness center to improve the quality of healthcare for your Florida employees, call 407-654-5414.
Quality Makes the Difference: Accessibility and Service Quality are Keys to Onsite Care
Health cost trends continue to skyrocket at a national rate due to chronic disease. Failure to conduct health screenings and delaying to seek help for minor health issues can escalate to serious conditions resulting in expensive health claims. When quality care is easily accessible, however, health costs can rapidly decrease.
Early detection, prompt treatment, and consistent follow-ups are key components of the onsite healthcare model. By supplying onsite or nearby medical care for employees, employers are mitigating risks and cutting costs, all while increasing employee benefits. In addition to a healthier bottom line, this translates to improved productivity and fewer sick days with less time away for physician appointments.
The Crowne Consulting Group and its partner, CareHere LLC, have created a cost-saving model for self-funded employers, extending benefits of free office visits, screenings, and increased physician face-time. When considering onsite care, it’s important to ask the right questions to ensure your operators are able to meet and exceed your needs for lowering health costs while enhancing care.
1) Will the employees have easy access to the health center? In addition to building the center at the worksite or a nearby location, availability is essential. The CareHere-Crowne model allows employees to simply call a toll-free number or go on-line to schedule an appointment. Patients are typically in front of a doctor before the end of the workday.
2) Will the employees be able to fill prescriptions via the health center? Through CareHere, employers pay wholesale costs for prescription drugs, which have helped employers save millions of dollars. Importantly, patients appreciate that they can conveniently walk away from the appointment with a free or low-priced prescription in about an hour.
3) Will the range of services meet the employee’s medical needs?
Without having to leave the worksite, employees may seek treatment for acute conditions such as a cold or infection, in addition to chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes. The full list of services typically includes primary and family care, occupational services, workers’ compensation matters, x-rays, pharmacy, disease management, and wellness services.
4) Will there be incentives for employees to utilize the center? Visits to the health centers are voluntary, but incentives for employees to use them include zero co-pays and no deductibles. CareHere and Crowne Consulting Group also take a client-centric approach to boost success. Among the list of perks are a grand opening to announce and promote awareness for the new center, reward-based programs with prizes to increase utilization, and employee incentives tied to wellness programs and health risk assessments for identifying risks early and controlling costs.
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When considering the launch of any healthcare service, experience is most important. Crowne Consulting Group’s team has expertise in serving public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, as well as private organizations. Crowne’s team strategically collaborates with CareHere LLC to help employers hire medical staff and operate health centers. CareHere operates more than 100 health centers nationwide, specializing in providing onsite healthcare through employers by making healthcare easier, better and more affordable.
CROWNE CONSULTING GROUP PRESENTS AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE FOR FLORIDA
CITY & COUNTY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION
Government leaders gather for
education and information pertaining to onsite healthcare.
May 29, 2013 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., an employee benefits consulting firm specializing in onsite employee health and wellness centers in Florida, announces that its team presented a case study for the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) annual conference last week at the Orlando Hilton.
. FCCMA is a professional organization of practicing public administrators from throughout Florida local governments. The association focusses on providing education, support, information, and regulation to its members.
. The 2013 conference theme was “Loving Your Community – Building Attachment to Florida’s Cities, Towns and Counties.” Crowne Consulting Group, which was a Diamond Sponsor for the event, offered a one-hour presentation with financial analysis and human resources planning for employers interested in the dynamics of onsite healthcare.
. Crowne’s session, titled “Onsite Health Centers: Real Results from a Five-Year Case Study,” outlined the successes of the onsite health center at the City of Ocoee. Since implementing onsite care for its more than 740 employees, retirees and dependents in 2008, the City of Ocoee reversed its trend of rising healthcare expenditures and avoided over $4 million in costs. Last year, an impressive 92 percent of eligible employees visited the center at least once. Also, medical costs of its workers’ compensation program has decreased over 50 percent annually during a four-year span.
. “In addition to creating a healthier workforce, the onsite healthcare model is helping self-funded employers of all sizes to save millions of dollars,” said Ray Tomlinson, President of Crowne Consulting Group, who presented alongside Jim Carnicella, Crowne’s Client Account Manager and the former HR Director for the City of Ocoee.
. Crowne Consulting Group collaborates with Tennessee-based CareHere LLC to operate more than 25 centers in Florida. Nationally, CareHere operates over 120 centers. Onsite health and wellness centers service employees, dependents and retirees. Services typically include primary care, occupational services, pharmacy, disease management, and wellness services along with the benefits of zero copays, free screenings and increased physician face-time for employees.
For a copy of this case study or to learn more about the benefits of onsite healthcare, contact Ray Tomlinson at rtomlinson@crowneinc.com.
How onsite care and data-driven
programs save millions.
Jan. 30, 2013 — Crowne Consulting Group and CareHere joined the nation’s top benefits experts this week at the Health Benefits Conference & Expo (HBCE) in Clearwater, Florida. In addition to being featured exhibitors at the conference, CareHere’s Director of Strategic Development, John Watson, joined Pasco Schools and Med-Vision LLC in offering a dynamic presentation on how to save money through onsite care and data-driven programs. Rather than passing rising health costs on to employees, CareHere and Med-Vision helped Pasco County schools discover an innovative approach to cut costs by enhancing healthcare for its more than 8,000 employees. By coupling onsite health and wellness centers with customized wellness programs to engage employees, Pasco County schools flattened prescription drug costs and reduced health costs nearly 5 percent, saving more than $2 million in 2011. Mary Tillman, Pasco Schools’ Director of Employee Benefits, discussed the financial value of boosting employee health. Med-Vision’s Vice President, Connie Gee, explained how health data analytics and wellness planning is crucial to controlling costs, and John Watson of CareHere highlighted the implementation and long-term benefits of Pasco Schools’ CareHere health centers. For more information about Health & Wellness Centers, e-mail jwatson@carehere.com.
GOVERNMENT LEADERS ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA GATHER FOR CROWNE’S SUMMIT ON INNOVATIONS FOR ONSITE HEALTHCARE
Cities and school districts met with Crowne Consulting Group for a Summit on Jan. 15 to assess the growing number of employee health and wellness centers.
Jan. 23, 2013 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Central Florida has become a hub of innovation in employee healthcare. Since 2008, onsite employee health and wellness centers have been popping up across Florida and pushing down employer healthcare costs.
Last Tuesday, government representatives met to discuss the benefits they’ve reaped from implementing onsite care centers. They also formed strategies to enhance care by sharing healthcare center access with neighboring municipalities.
Attendees of the 1st Annual Crowne Summit included, the School District of Lake County, City of DeLand, City of Kissimmee, City of Leesburg, City of Lake Mary, City of Mount Dora, City of Ocala, City of Ocoee, City of Oviedo, and City of Sanford. All entities are working with Crowne Consulting Group and CareHere to manage onsite employee health and wellness centers.
Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., an employee benefits consulting firm, is co-administrators of more than 25 health centers throughout Florida, helping Tennessee-based partners CareHere, LLC surpass a milestone of 100 centers nationwide.
Onsite health and wellness centers help employers cut health costs through onsite medical care and wellness programs. Health center services typically include primary care, occupational services, pharmacy, disease management, x-rays, and wellness services along with the employee benefits of zero copays, free screenings, free generic prescriptions, and increased physician face-time.
All centers are staffed by a physician and other supporting medical staff. In addition to providing primary care, chronic disease management and medication, the centers also focus on providing health risk assessments (HRAs), which is a short health examination with blood draw to assess a patient’s risk for diseases and conditions.
Mitigating risks early and keeping employees healthy have prompted positive financial results, including: 10 percent reductions in plan costs, 15 percent decreases in prescription costs, drastic reductions in sick time, and millions of taxpayer dollars saved.
“We’ve saved over $3M since opening our health center,” said Robert Frank, City Manager for Ocoee, which is approaching its five-year anniversary for onsite care for its 350 employees.
Jerry Boop, Finance Director for the City of Oviedo, spoke of similar results. “Crowne has left their footprint on our organization. The City’s healthcare costs are down significantly and are currently trending around 3 percent. We all know that’s a huge accomplishment.”
And they’re not alone. The City of Ocala’s team thanked Crowne for helping them to improve efficiency in a tough economy. The center is one of “our crown jewels,” according to Catherine Cameron, Assistant City Manager. The City saved enough money to go from fully-insured in 2009 to being self-insured within a year of opening its doors.
“Prior to opening the clinics, our premium increases were trending around 10 percent annually. Since we put in the clinics, we’ve been able to keep that down consistently to just 2 percent,” said Jared Sorensen, Director of Human Resources and Risk Management for Ocala.
“We also utilized CareHere’s wellness program last year and tied an incentive program to our premiums so that those completing HRAs and following up with doctor care benefited from lesser premiums. This has provided great success in identifying risks and controlling costs.”
Mark Hayward, Human Resources Director for the City of DeLand, says they’ve seen a $145,000 drop in combined workers’ compensation and medical costs since opening in November of 2010. DeLand also struck a deal with the local hospital to allow employees easier access to specialized medical care.
Collaboration was a running theme at the summit, as most entities remarked that they were open to discussing the idea of access sharing, which would allow their employees an opportunity to visit nearby CareHere health centers operating under neighboring counties and cities.
A partnership example is the City of Ocoee sharing with the City of Apopka to extend the convenience of easy access for employees living in different areas. The Cities of Mount Dora and Leesburg also have an access-sharing agreement for their onsite health centers.
In addition to multi-entity sharing, some have gone the route of opening more than one location, such is the case with Lake Schools, which is in the process of opening their third onsite health center this year for its more than 5,000 employees, dependents, and retirees.
“The centers have been a great success and employees are asking for more locations. Plus, we didn’t have to raise healthcare premiums on our employees this year,” said Carol MacLeod, Chief Financial Officer for Lake Schools, which began working with Crowne and CareHere in 2011.
Attendees of the summit took notes while listening to these exciting results. The Cities of Lake Mary and Sanford, who just launched onsite centers within the past few months, hope for similar results, while the City of Kissimmee is counting the days until their first center opens in April.
“These employers deserve a round of applause for implementing solutions that actually lower health costs while enhancing employee care,” added Dan Ross, president of Med-Vision LLC and Med-View LLC, which provides healthcare data analytics and benefits consulting for Crowne.
Prior to posing for a team photo and pictures with smiling clients and vendors, Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group gave the following statement: “We are thrilled to hear so much positive feedback from clients who are decreasing healthcare costs and improving quality of care for their employees. The fact that more centers are opening soon means that Florida is on the leading edge of employer-driven healthcare reform. Additionally, this idea of clients sharing access in neighboring areas could extend greater convenience for employees while increasing access to affordable care.”
About Crowne Consulting Group, Inc:Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., founded in 1986, consults and provides administrative oversight services for onsite health and wellness centers to employers and is a related company with The Crowne Group, an employee benefits consulting firm, specializing in employer solutions and personal lines of insurance. Crowne’s experts have a cumulative 100 years of experience in serving public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, as well as private organizations. The firm’s mission is to bring innovative solutions that meet the fiscal responsibility of employers and maximizes investments. Solutions for consumer-driven plans include health reimbursement arrangements, self-funded plans, onsite health and wellness centers, as well as risk management and human resources consulting.
Call 407-654-5414 to learn more about corporations, school districts, and government agencies implementing on-site health and wellness centers for their employees.
For a large number of corporations, businesses, and municipalities in Florida, employee health centers are just what the doctor ordered. Adopting the onsite health model is improving quality of employee healthcare while drastically decreasing costs.
Press Release
Health cost trends continue to skyrocket at a national rate due to chronic disease. Failure to conduct health screenings and delaying to seek help for minor health issues can escalate to serious conditions resulting in expensive health claims. When quality care is easily accessible, however, health costs can rapidly decrease.
