Tag: employee health

Posted on by

What Makes a Healthy Employer?

Crowne provides tips to build a healthy workforce.
Healthy Workforce
Build a Healthy Workforce with the Help of Crowne Consulting Group.

Employers have great opportunities to apply for an array of awards each year.  From the best places to work to fastest growing companies, there is no shortage of honors and nominations. Particularly, many organizations, respected journals, healthcare groups, and business associations across the nation give out employer health awards for having a healthy workforce.  The standards vary for award rankings, but most designate wellness and easy access to care as essential criteria for a healthy workplace.

“Preventative care and disease management are top priorities for cultivating a healthy workplace,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group, a benefits-planning firm specializing in the operation of over 30 onsite and near-site employee health and wellness centers throughout Florida.

Public and private organizations deemed as “healthy workplaces” have implemented onsite care for employees, retirees, and dependents.  Onsite care provides plan members with convenient access to no-cost primary and chronic care, screenings, lab work, X-rays, EKG, generic prescriptions, and wellness programs including smoking cessation.

  • Through Crowne’s onsite-care model, patient appointments can be made online or by phone for a 20-minute visit with a doctor.
  • Patients can reserve additional time with the physician if needed, and they never have to pay a copay.
  • In addition to physicians, the staff typically includes nurses, dieticians, exercise physiologists, and other medical staff.
  • Teams work together to provide a holistic approach to care while nurturing a healthy working environment.

Crowne points to the District School Board of Pasco County as a shining example for healthy workplaces. The district has worked with Crowne’s experts and medical affiliates since 2011 through CareHere Crowne LLC, which oversees onsite care operations for its more than 10,000 plan members. The district’s list of subsequent awards have included a Platinum Fit-Friendly Worksite Award from the American Heart Association, a Worksite Wellness Silver Award from the Florida Tobacco Cessation Alliance, the Top 100 list from the Healthiest100 awards, and a Healthiest Employers Award from the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Between 2011 and 2016, the District also saved over $26 million in health and medication expenditures

“Financially, the ease of use and cost-free care keeps utilization high for employers wanting a return on investment when implementing onsite care for a healthier workforce,” said Tomlinson.

———-
Learn more about bottom-line wellness! See Crowne Consulting Group’s featured statements in the Orlando Business Journal’s August 18, 2017 cover story: How Orlando-area firms save money on health care budgets.  The special issue also features the 2017 Healthiest Employers.

Crowne Consulting Group’s clients have included school districts, cities, counties, sheriff’s offices, and private organizations.  Call 407.654.5414 for information and employer solutions.

Posted on by

Healthy Staff for Healthy Schools
How Onsite Care Benefits Teachers, Staff, and Students

apple-healthyschoolHealthy, hard-working teachers play an important role in the education of our children, which is why access to quality care and health education for our teachers is critical to inspiring learning in the classroom.

Based on a 2016 report by Education Week, approximately 39% of Florida K12 teachers missed more than 10 school days during the 2013-2014 schoolyear. Nationally that same year, slightly more than 1 in 4 teachers missed 10 days or more, according to data from Education Week Research Center’s review of U.S. Department of Education and the federal civil rights office.

While personal reasons for time off may vary, sick days out for colds, flus, and other preventable conditions are days setting students and teachers behind.  In an attempt to prevent teacher absences from impacting learners, some districts are taking a proactive approach to ensure their employees have convenient access to high-quality preventative care, vaccines, and primary care.  Florida schools are particularly embracing an onsite-care model by offering employee health and wellness centers at or near the worksite.

When opening Lake County School’s first employee health and wellness center in August 2011, risk manager Lauren Deridder said, “The health and wellness center provides convenient and quick service, and the employees have quality time with the doctors, less of wait, and no out-of-pocket expenses.” Now with four centers spread across the county, the district is saving $150 for every patient that is seen by the employee center instead of an outside physician.

The ease of use and cost-free care keeps utilization high for teachers, staff, dependents, and retirees.  Patients visiting onsite health and wellness centers enjoy free access to primary medical, screenings, lab work, X-rays, EKG, occupational health, wellness programs, generic prescriptions, as well as comprehensive treatment and health education for managing conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.

“In addition to helping employers save millions of dollars, we’re thrilled to be helping keep teachers in the classroom,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group, which operates over 30 on- or near-site health and wellness centers throughout Florida, including several for school districts as well as private companies, cities, counties, and sheriff offices.

Unlike outdated wellness programs that are triggered by large claims or passive educational material, the onsite-care model includes an active approach based on extensive lab work, Health Risk Assessments (HRA), and health education through customized wellness programs. “These increased screenings, HRAs, and easy access to preventative care like flu shots are helping districts increase productivity, while also cutting absenteeism costs and expenses that could be reallocated for other school resources,” added Tomlinson.

Crowne Consulting Group’s school district clients have included Citrus, Levy, Pasco, Lake, St. John’s, and Indian River.  Crowne and its affiliates also serve city government, county government, sheriff’s offices, and private organizations. 

Posted on by

ANNOUNCEMENT

Florida Tobacco Cessation Alliance Awards Pasco Schools with Worksite Wellness Silver Award

Pasco-FTCA-Award1Crowne 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, has been awarded the Worksite Wellness Silver Award from the Florida Tobacco Cessation Alliance (FTCA) for comprehensive cessation benefits for employees.

Crowne Consulting Group collaborates with CareHere LLC in operating five Employee Health & Wellness Centers for Pasco schools’ employees, dependents, and retirees.  Below are excerpts from a recent Press Release issued on October 6, 2015, by FTCA:

[The Florida Tobacco Cessation Alliance (FTCA) will present a Silver Level Award to Pasco County Schools for their commitment and dedication to their employees’ health and wellness. The school system has an aggressive plan in place to help their employees quit using tobacco products.

“Employee wellness is one of the district’s measured goals, and our comprehensive tobacco cessation program and no-cost, FDA-approved tobacco cessation medications are factors that will help us achieve that goal,” said Kurt Browning, superintendent of, Pasco County Schools.

The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County and The American Lung Association in Florida, both Alliance members, have been working with the school system to get their paperwork in order to be eligible for the award. “We are extremely proud of Pasco County Schools for recognizing the role tobacco use plays in not only overall health but productivity and absenteeism, and the steps they have taken to ensure employees have access to proven-successful services and pharmacotherapy to assist with their cessation efforts” says Kurt Goerke with the Florida Tobacco Cessation Alliance. ]

Visit www.FTCAlliance.com for more information about FTCA.  Contact Crowne Consulting Group for employee benefits, wellness, and onsite healthcare solutions for your employees.  Crowne’s team looks forward to telling you about the unique solutions that have helped Pasco Schools achieve wellness successes.

Posted on by

Employers are Self-Funding to Find Savings in Healthcare

Crowne Consulting Group launches affiliate corporation, Medical Risk Solutions,
to help employers transition to self-funded and to launch worksite health centers.

Sept. 23, 2015 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Various provisions of the Affordable Care Act have swayed employers to opt for self-funding in order to achieve the greatest return from their healthcare investments.

In response to the growing demand for risk management coupled with self-funded plans, the benefits experts at Crowne Consulting Group have launched an affiliate onsite healthcare company, Medical Risk Solutions (www.medicalrisksolutions.com).

Medical Risk Solutions specializes in helping employers to strategically transition from fully insured to self-funded or partially self-funded through its Guaranteed Program with a rate-cap for at least three years.

“Our clients leverage the power of partnerships with one of the nation’s largest stop-loss carriers, providing reinsurance with a guaranteed rate cap,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of both Crowne Consulting Group and Medical Risk Solutions.  “Also, in conjunction with trusted medical partnerships, we remain positioned to help employers implement employee health and wellness centers for reducing the cost of healthcare claims under the more expensive fee-for-service model.”

As a positive, self-insured plans are exempt from medical-loss-ratio requirements and aren’t subject to risk-adjustment.  Onsite healthcare for employees attracts self-funded groups because visits are paid directly by the employer.  No claim is filed.  Group health insurance typically is conducted in a fee-for-services model.  The more physician services, the higher the bill.  With an onsite center, however, the employer controls spending by paying a flat fee and costs without mark-up.

Florida-based Crowne Consulting Group has helped self-funded employers in Florida ranging from 200 to over 8,000 employees to launch onsite healthcare.  Employers have saved millions of dollars in healthcare costs, decreased prescription drug costs, and lowered operational expenditures.

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, sheriff offices, 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.

###

Posted on by

Accessibility Churns Success

Employers are making healthcare more effective by offering medical services at or nearby the worksite. By handling all administration and operations, onsite care experts can help shift attention from disease management to disease prevention.  Over 30 employee health and wellness centers in Florida are drastically reducing health costs through the help of Crowne Consulting Group, Inc. and medical partnerships.

Onsite care extends benefits of free office visits, screenings, and increased physician face-time for employees.  Employers can stick with their current healthcare plan and benefits provider.  The only difference is that the employees now have the option to handle medical appointments and wellness visits at the worksite rather than at more costly outside providers.

“Costs for operating an onsite health center can be 60 percent less than paying for a fee-for-service model,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group. “And it’s not just employers seeing the savings – the employees are also reaping the benefits through the increased accessibility to care.”

Utilization proves to be high because employee health centers offer on-demand medical service for employees, their dependents, and the retiree population for no out-of-pocket costs.

  • With a free and reliable health center nearby, employees are more likely to keep chronic issues, such as hypertension and diabetes, in check.
  • Workers are equipped to take better care of themselves, while also taking less time off and requiring fewer serious medical procedures.
  • Quality healthcare in a convenient location reduces costs to employees, and, by extension, taxpayers.

Employers can experience additional savings and services when the workers’ compensation program is integrated with an onsite-health-center model.  One Florida school district slashed their Worker’s Compensation costs by 50 percent in one year.  Crowne and their medical partners have also teamed with top-rated firms to bring insurance products and management services for fully-insured and self-insured school districts.

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 making quality care more accessible to your employees.  With expertise in serving public sector employers such as school boards, city and county government, as well as private organizations – Crowne specializes in making healthcare more accessible and more affordable.

Contact Crowne’s Expert Now.

Posted on by

Onsite Care Offers Win-Win Solution

In the wake of healthcare reform, Florida employers are increasingly turning to onsite care for reducing costs, promoting productivity, and enhancing employee-health satisfaction.

According to a survey of 255 employers by the National Association of Worksite Health Centers and PwC US, 64 percent of employers surveyed are achieving financial objectives for their onsite clinics.  A whopping 70 percent are also realizing reduced time lost by employees leaving work to see outside medical providers.

Employees, retirees, and dependents visiting onsite health and wellness centers enjoy free and convenient access to primary medical, screenings, lab work, X-rays, EKG, occupational health, wellness programs, generic prescriptions, as well as comprehensive treatment for conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.

Florida-based Crowne Consulting Group has become the state’s premier source for implementing and managing worksite health and wellness centers.  Crowne collaborates with Tennessee-based CareHere, LLC to operate over 30 on- or near-site health and wellness centers throughout Florida, including several for school districts, private companies, cities, and counties.

“Employers across Florida are discovering a win-win situation when providing primary-care services for employees at or near the worksite,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group.

Onsite care, coupled with healthcare data-analytics and strategic planning, resulted in approximately $14 Million in savings over the past three years for Crowne’s client Pasco County Schools, which offers five Employee Health & Wellness Centers for 10,000 employees, retirees, and dependents.  The district’s achievements were highlighted in the December 2014 issue of DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION MAGAZINE and have earned the district several local, state, and national awards, including the 2015 Platinum Fit-Friendly Worksite Award from the American Heart Association for demonstrating a strong commitment to providing a healthy workplace.

“The ease of use and cost-free care keeps utilization high for employees, while diverting a large portion of doctor visits to the controlled-cost centers keeps outside health claims cost significantly lower for employers,” added Tomlinson.

Contact Crowne Consulting Group at 407-654-5414 for more information.

Posted on by

Pasco County Schools’ Employee Health
Initiatives Earn Recognition from
American Heart Association

Florida school district is among elite group of Platinum Fit-Friendly Worksites.

View PDF: Pasco-Crowne-Press Release-1-23-2015

Land O’ Lakes, FL – (January 23, 2015) – As the nation recognizes American Heart Month this February, the District School Board of Pasco County is celebrating news that it earned the Platinum Fit-Friendly Worksite Award from the American Heart Association for demonstrating a strong commitment to providing a healthy workplace.

“Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities for us at the district, so we are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association,” said Superintendent Kurt Browning.

The Fit-Friendly Worksites program is a catalyst for positive change in making employees’ health and wellness a priority.  Qualifications for the platinum-level include:

• Offering employees physical activity options in the workplace.

• Increasing healthy eating options at the worksite.

• Promoting a wellness culture in the workplace.

• Implementing at least nine criteria outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.

• Demonstrating measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness.

“We’re committed to providing the best workplace environment possible. This will benefit our employees’ health and produce even more positive results for our worksite overall,” said School Board Member Cynthia Armstrong, who represents the board on the district’s Employee Wellness Committee.

Pasco County schools also took an innovative approach to cut costs while enhancing healthcare for its more than 10,000 members by offering onsite care for employees, retirees and dependents.

“Employees, retirees and dependents visiting the onsite health and wellness centers enjoy free and convenient access to primary medical, screenings, lab work, X-rays, EKG, occupational health, wellness programs, disease management, and generic prescriptions,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group, which collaborates with CareHere Crowne LLC to operate more than 30 health and wellness centers throughout Florida, including five centers for Pasco County schools.

Ocoee-based Crowne Consulting Group’s management of the district’s CareHere health centers, in combination with Tampa-based Med-Vision’s health-data analytics for wellness planning, have proved valuable in helping the district’s wellness committee create results-driven programs.  For example, the district’s incentive program rewards employees who complete a health-risk assessment, follow-up with a health coach, and complete a questionnaire.  If an employee completes these three sections, he or she is awarded $150.  Employees can earn up to $100 in additional incentive awards for completing a program on CareHere Connect, an online wellness portal, or attending three out of four onsite-wellness sessions.

These incentives resulted in approximately $14 Million in savings over the past three years.  These achievements were highlighted in the December 2014 issue of District Administration Magazine, and have earned the district several local, state, and national awards in addition to the current honor from the American Heart Association.

About The District School Board of Pasco County: Pasco County Schools is the 11th largest school district in Florida and the 50th largest in the nation, with more than 69,000 students and nearly 11,000 employees.  The district includes 45 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, 13 high schools, four centers, nine charter schools, and a robust eschool.  Pasco is led by an elected superintendent and five elected school board members, who administer a $1.2 billion annual budget.  More than 93 percent of the general fund resources are committed to teaching and other school-level programs such as transportation, counseling, psychological services, school administration, and operations & maintenance.

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.

About the American Heart Association: The American Heart Association is devoted to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Our mission drives everything we do. To improve the lives of all Americans, we provide public health education in a variety of ways. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke.

###

 

 

Posted on by

Schools Clearing Health Care Hurdles

District Administration Magazine
December 2014
Feature Story, Posted 11/14/2014
By Alison DeNisco

Crowne Consulting Group and our client, Pasco County Schools, are featured in the December 2014 Issue of District Administration Magazine.  Here’s an excerpt:

“Pasco County Schools in Florida, a district of 10,000 employees, has been self-insured with Blue Cross Blue Shield since 2009. The district was fully insured for many years, but insurance carriers were increasing rates between 9 and 12 percent, says Kevin Shibley, executive director for administration at the District School Board of Pasco County.

Administrators determined that they could save those extra costs if they took on the risk of self-insuring, he says. “We have a long history of being stable, so we made the decision to go self-insured,” Shibley adds.

Since then, the district has not had an annual increase to its insurance plan exceeding 5 percent, Shibley says. It also worked with Crowne Consulting Group to open on-site employee health care centers, and saved $14 million over three years as a result.“

Visit District Administration to read the full article:
http://www.districtadministration.com/article/schools-clearing-health-care-hurdles

Posted on by

Growing Demand for Employee Health & Wellness Centers to Help Florida Employers Control Healthcare Costs

View  PDF

Crowne Consulting Group and CareHere open more worksite health centers for employees of government agencies, school districts, and private organizations.

May 6, 2014 (Ocoee, Fla.) – Crowne Consulting Group, Inc., an employee benefits consulting firm collaborating with CareHere, LLC to operate over 25 worksite health and wellness centers throughout Florida, have announced an increasing number of employee health and wellness centers.

The latest centers will service Lake County Sheriff’s Office as well as employees of LifeStream, which is a behavioral health and social services organization servicing children and adults in Lake and Sumter Counties.  There are approximately 1600 plan members covered under the Sheriff’s Office and LifeStream’s health plans, including employees and dependents.

At no charge to plan members (including dependents), the health and wellness center will offer primary care, occupational services, pharmacy, disease management, and wellness services such as nutritional coaching.  Plan members will also benefit from zero deductibles, no copays, and free health risk assessments with lab work for evaluation of cholesterol, blood sugar, liver function, blood pressure and other bio-metric panels.

“An increasing number of private employers and governments are launching employee health centers to lower health costs by improving care, enhancing disease management, and providing easier access to care,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group.

In addition to corporations and governments, school districts are becoming self-insured and offering worksite care to save money for both employees and their districts.  Levy County Schools opened an employee health center in February, and Indian River County Schools’ center is slated to be opening this summer.  For information about the growing number of employee health centers opening in Florida, visit: https://crowneinc.com/news/.

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.

###

Posted on by

UPDATE:

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.