As health care costs continue to rise as a percentage of payrolls, many employers are looking at options that include a medical and health promotions presence onsite. Celadon Trucking Services has announced that it is taking that idea a step further with an employee initiative called “Highway 2 Health” in partnership with Community Health Network.
Community’s Occupational Health program and Health Promotions division developed the initiative that includes placing a health care team at Celadon’s Wellness Center inside the company’s corporate headquarters on the east side of Indianapolis. The team is comprised of a nurse practitioner, registered nurse, medical assistant and a health promotions specialist.
The “Highway 2 Health” initiative has several components, including mandatory physical exams and substance abuse testing required by the Department of Transportation for over-the-road drivers. In addition, all U.S. employees will be given the opportunity to participate in a thorough health screening that will measure blood pressure, body mass, glucose and lipid profiles; employees who participate will receive a confidential report on the state of their health along with a plan of action to control problems, and they also will have access to the onsite medical team who can provide immediate care, individual health coaching, heath education and medical consultations.
In return, the company will receive aggregate reports with group data that will help direct future wellness initiatives. “We believe this partnership with Community will help us decrease health care costs while improving attendance and the overall work experience for employees,” says Craig Koven, Celadon spokesperson. “We wanted to meet the challenges of employee health care head-on by focusing on wellness and prevention.”
