While private companies & public entities have long understood the benefits of employer-sponsored clinics, a new shared clinic model between these two sectors is emerging and changing communities for the better.

Employer-sponsored clinics have a long and proven history of reducing healthcare costs by improving employee health. Historically, large employers such as manufacturers would bring high quality care directly to the workplace. Today, employers continue to utilize this strategy to proactively manage cost, reduce absenteeism, and improve productivity. Although employer-sponsored clinics began in the private sector, their influence hasn’t stopped there. Public entities, including municipalities, have begun implementing clinics to directly control the cost of care.

Employers, private and public, have been experimenting and discovering new ways to better serve their population through these clinics. The on-site clinic model, as the name suggests, is setup directly at the worksite. Whether in a bustling factory or polished corporate office building, these clinics provide direct and easy access to high quality care. The near-site clinic model makes sense for employers who need a separate location or want to provide multiple clinics to better serve their population. Now, a new model is taking shape: the shared clinic model.

In the shared clinic model, multiple employers come together to fund the clinic. Typically, there is an anchor employer with the upfront capital and employee size needed to launch. Then, partner employers can join – no matter their size. Because cost can be divvied up by clinic utilization or employee size, the model provides a scalable solution for employers large and small. Large employers benefit by sharing costs with other employers; smaller employers have access to a high quality clinic; and the clinic is maximally utilized. Talk about a win-win! 

The shared clinic model works among private companies, but especially in public-private partnerships. Remember the concept of the anchor employer? In many cases public entities, including school districts and municipalities, serve as the anchor employer. Additional employers would then be added to the clinic or clinic network. And since the clinic would be implemented and managed by a third-party vendor, every employer would have access to valuable reporting and be able to provide employees access to quality healthcare.

Think this might be something you’d like to start in your community? Here’s what you can do to start the conversation. First, consider entering into self-funding if you haven’t already. If you are a large self-funded public entity or private employer, begin drafting a request for proposal. You want to find the best vendor to set the right foundation. Here’s a helpful guide to get you started.

Then, work with your third-party administrator or awesome new third-party vendor to reach out to other self-funded employers, no matter their size. Chances are you’ll find like-minded employers who know that in order to radically change healthcare costs, they must take part in a radical solution.

What are your thoughts on the shared clinic model? Is this a solution that might benefit your private company or public entity? Let us know in the comments below!