In the fast-changing world of health care, more and more emphasis is being placed on primary and preventive care, with a view towards identifying potential health problems before they become more serious. The Affordable Care Act is just one of many initiatives that seek to shift the focus of medicine towards more cost-effective and better-quality care. Yet health care costs continue to rise. One response to this trend is the rapidly growing number of corporate employers offering on-site health and wellness centers for their employees.
The concept is not new. For decades, many employers had employed or contracted physicians on-site. However, employers often limited themselves to having a physician available to provide minor services such as pre-employment physical examinations and first aid. Today, many employers offer state-of-the-art health and wellness centers at multiple company sites. These can be staffed by physicians, nurse practitioners or physician assistants. Some are exclusively available to employees, while others are open to family members and even retirees. Services include care for on-site job injuries or ailments; pre-employment and annual physicals; screening for breast, prostate and skin cancer and osteoporosis; flu shots; weight-loss and smoking-cessation programs; diabetes management and more.
