Apple Wants to Take Worksite Clinics to a Whole New Level
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While Apple’s announcement that it would be opening and operating its own worksite clinics didn’t create nearly the buzz of the recent announcement by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan, it certainly got more attention than most worksite clinic sponsors get. For one thing, they’re Apple. For another, they say the clinics will offer the “world’s greatest health care experience” to its employees and their families, according to this CNBC article. And there’s talk that the clinics will serve as a kind of laboratory in which to try out the tech giant’s growing range of health products and services. For example, Apple is currently working with Stanford to study whether its Apple Watch can detect irregularities with the heart's rhythm. It’s also working to bring medical records to its iPhone.
Apple has set up a website for its clinic, called AC Wellness, and it’s currently hiring. The clinics will offer a range of primary care services, with a strong emphasis on prevention and wellness, and care navigators who will assist members with care both in and outside the clinic. In-house management of primary care clinics is not typical: A Mercer survey of over 100 worksite clinic sponsors conducted in 2015 found that only about one-third of respondents (34%) managed their clinic with in-house resources, and most of these clinics were occupational in focus. Most commonly, respondents outsourced administration a third-party management company (40%). But some offered clinics run by a hospital system (18%) or provider group (5%), and it’s likely that by now these numbers have risen. As they develop employer-market solutions and leverage existing resources, hospital systems and provider groups are increasingly considered viable clinic managers.
To get the latest on how organizations are maximizing their clinics’ potential to manage cost, improve health and productivity, and delight employees – while minimizing the administrative challenges -- Mercer and the National Association of Worksite Health Clinics have teamed up on a new survey. It’s in the field now. If your organization sponsors worksite clinics, you may have already received an invitation to participate. If not and you’d like to participate – and receive the results free of charge – please let us know.