Tag: school board

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

Districts Save Millions with Onsite Care
Employee Health Centers Pop Up to Push Down Costs

By Ray Tomlinson, President of Crowne Consulting Group
Sept. 2014

The Affordable Care Act has prompted an increase in healthcare-system changes for employers.  In the effort to produce better patient outcomes, the importance has shifted to quality of care and increased access to care.  An increasing number of school districts, specifically, are implementing the onsite-healthcare model to create a culture of health for employees.

Crowne Consulting Group, an employee benefits consulting firm operating worksite health and wellness centers across Florida, has seen its client list triple in the past five years.  Mitigating risks early and keeping employees healthy have prompted positive financial results for employers, including reductions in plan costs, decreases in prescription costs, and drastic reductions in sick time.

“Employees visiting onsite health and wellness centers enjoy increased access to low-cost preventative care, which is helping employers to lower average healthcare costs,” said Ray Tomlinson, president of Crowne Consulting Group, which collaborates with CareHere, LLC to operate nearly 30 worksite health and wellness centers throughout Florida, including centers for several school districts.

Crowne’s client Pasco County Schools, which offers four health and wellness centers for its employees, recently reported about $14 Million in savings over the past three years. Pasco School Board member Cynthia Armstrong called onsite care “a win-win” for administrators and staff.  Due to a high-demand for services, the district is looking to expand the program.

School district employees across the state are embracing the idea of onsite care.  Utilization proves to be high for the following reasons:

  • Health and wellness centers offer onsite or near-site access to primary care, occupational services, pharmacy, disease management, and wellness services.
  • Services are provided at no charge to plan members and dependents, including  zero deductibles and no copays.
  • Members have access to free health-risk assessments with lab work for evaluation of cholesterol, blood sugar, liver function, blood pressure, and other bio-metric panels.
  • Onsite health and wellness centers provide easy access to low-cost primary and preventive care while decreasing specialty care needs and ER visits.

Crowne Consulting Group’s costs for the health centers, including operations and administration, are approximately 30 to 70 percent less than what employers are paying under the fee-for-service model.

Contact Crowne Consulting Group’s team at 407.654.5414 to learn about their years of expertise in serving school districts, governments, and private clients.

Posted on by

Updated Media Buzz & News Reports
Pasco Schools, Fall 2014:

The local news media is talking about major successes in onsite healthcare.  CareHere and Crowne Consulting Group’s client, Pasco County School District, has reported that the district has saved millions of dollars.  Tampa Bay Times notes $9.2 Million saved, while the Tampa Tribune references over $14 Million saved over the past three years of Pasco Schools having employee health and wellness centers onsite.  Article quotes include:

~ “I’ve been on the board for six years, and I think this is one of the most significant decisions the board has made,” board member Joanne Hurley said of the clinics. “It’s a feather in our cap.”

~ Board member Cynthia Armstrong called the clinics “a win-win” for administrators and staff.

~ “Employees actually said ‘Wow, you’re helping us save money’ and we said ‘Wow, you’re helping us save money.’ “

“I think this is one of the most significant decisions this board has made in terms of employee well-being and containing costs,” board member Joanne Hurley said at a recent board workshop….

Read the full articles:  

UPDATED LIST 10-26-14: Expansion Approved

-Clinic for County Workers to Expand
Tampa Tribune, Ronnie Blair, Oct. 26, 2014

-School District Clinics Thrive
Tampa Tribune, Ronnie Blair, August 24, 2014

-Pasco School Board considers expanding employee health clinic
Tampa Bay Times, Lisa Buie, August 12, 2014

-Pasco School Board considers expanding employee clinic
BayNews9, News Brief, August 13, 2014

Read more news stories and see TV reports about Crowne Consulting Group.

Posted on by

Press Release

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.

###

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.