September 04, 2019

By Barrett J. Brunsman – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

A GE Aviation official says an investment of more than $5 million to build a Family Wellness Center in Evendale, which offers primary care for its thousands of local employees, their dependents and GE retirees in Greater Cincinnati, is paying off.

GE self-insures its health plan, and the clinic was conceived as a way for the company and employees to save money – as well as to maintain a productive workforce.

The clinic opened in May 2015, and in the four years since has logged more than a 25% growth in patient visits annually, said Craig Osterhues, GE Aviation’s health services program manager.

“It’s been a big hit,” Osterhues said. “It’s great access for our folks. They almost always get in the same day (medical care is requested).”

TriHealth doctors and nurses staff the clinic, which gets about 30,000 visits a year. About 7,000 unique visitors are treated, and more than 3,000 people use it as their primary care home.

Boston-based General Electric (NYSE: GE) has about 9,700 employees in Greater Cincinnati, including at sites downtown and in West Chester.

About 75% of the people who rely on the clinic are GE employees, with the rest spouses, dependents or retirees.

David Joyce, CEO of GE Aviation, pushed for construction of the clinic as a tangible sign of the division’s commitment to the health of employees.

Chronic disease is a major cost for employers as well as a driver of downtime, so GE Aviation wanted to focus on earlier intervention and lifestyle issues such as diet.

“What we’re getting is access, better care, better health and lower cost,” Osterhues said. “I see it in the claims, which is when they are interacting with the health care systems, and the reduction of risk factors.”

For example, “the diabetes program results as a group are fantastic,” he said. “The blood pressure control is terrific. So some of the major metrics – blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol – all of those things are managed very well through the Family Wellness Center.”

As a result, “we see lower emergency room visits, lower prescription drugs and lower ambulatory sensitive admissions, meaning they aren’t running to the hospital for things that can be managed through primary care,” he said.

“I still have high-cost claimants, but they have serious stuff that we need to take care of that’s outside primary care,” he said. However, “I have fewer (patients) struggling with co-morbidities and more stable ones. I’ve got risks, but I’m managing it. That’s where we’re seeing the big win.”

The 13,492-square-foot building was more expensive than usual for a medical office of that size because it was built to industrial standards so that it could be used as a lean laboratory if not enough GE Aviation employees made use of the primary care clinic at the plant, Osterhues said.

“We overbuilt it because we weren’t sure what it would be in year three,” Osterhues said. “We took a risk, but it’s hitting our models and we just nailed it. TriHealth has been a big part of that. They run it and kitted it out (with medical equipment). They have their own profit and loss. We do not subsidize it, which is a beautiful thing."

The current TriHealth staffing model is 2.4 full-time equivalents for doctors. A physician assistant and a support staff of about four also work there along with a pharmacist and a pharmacy technician.

“GE Aviation truly has been at the forefront in their commitment to the health and wellbeing of their employees and the larger community,” said Terri Hanlon-Bremer, TriHealth vice president for employer solutions. “Together through collaborative relationships such as with TriHealth, they are succeeding in bringing their vision for a healthier workforce to life.”

GE Aviation has clinics at other sites, but the one in Evendale is unique in that it is a comprehensive, patient-centered model rather than an occupational health clinic.

“It’s a primary care center, but it’s surrounded by the employee assistance program, pharmacy, dietitians, exercise physiologists, physical therapy, and we’ll bring in specialists every other week or once a month depending on demand for services such as dermatology, psychiatric nurse, orthopedics,” Osterhues said. “We literally bring them into the care suites.

“Those are two of the biggest selling points – the access and the customer service,” he said. “People can get in and get great care and service, which is not your typical health care experience.”

The article can be viewed on the Business Courier's website here.

So very glad to read of the GE Family Wellness Center's success!
Posted by: Team Member on September 11, 2019
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