Muskegon manufacturers offering medical care for employees at on-site clinics

Brandon Champion | bchampio@mlive.com By Brandon Champion | bchampio@mlive.com The Muskegon Chronicle Follow on Twitter on January 20, 2015 at 12:15 PM, updated January 20, 2015 at 12:21 PM

MUSKEGON, MI – A trio of Muskegon’s largest manufacturers have launched a cooperative effort designed to improve the health of their employees.

The Muskegon Manufacturers Health and Wellness Clinics are the result of a partnership between Eagle Group, Fleet Engineers and Port City Group. At the crux of the innovative, multi-year effort is the implementation of two medical clinics located on the campuses of the businesses.

The idea of having medical clinics on site is a unique one in West Michigan, but leadership in the three companies expect it is one that will produce positive results.

“We look forward to providing our employees with convenient access to healthcare,” said John Workman, co-owner of Eagle Group. “The clinics, along with a 24/7 call service provided, will give our employees the appropriate care and advice to better manage their own health and that of their family. We do feel that it may also help control costs by identifying health issues at an early stage. Bottom line, it seems like the right thing to do.”

Workman said on-site clinics were fairly common years ago, but not so much these days. He added that while the clinics are a large expense to the company, its fairly comparable to what it spends on health insurance to begin with.

He’s optimistic that having an on-site clinic will help reduce the amount of health issues in the long run.

The Eagle Group site of the clinic, 5142 Evanston Ave., celebrated its grand opening on Jan. 19. The second site, located near Fleet Engineers and Port City Group at 1883 Laketon Ave., opened on Dec. 19. The first clinic has treated more than 100 patients since it opened about a month ago.

The on-site clinics provide employees with free, convenient access to a wide range of medical services. Examples of conditions that can be managed in the clinics include: coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and asthma.

Minor illnesses such as eye infections, respiratory complaints, ear aches and sore throats can also be treated and flu shots, immunizations and limited lab work are also available.

Both clinics are operated by ProMedico, a provider of clinic management services and product of Lighthouse Group Insurance, which has a Muskegon branch at 3597 Henry St.

Both clinics are staffed with trained professionals in the medical field, including a physician’s assistant, nurse practitioner and a medical director to provide medical oversight.

The medical care received at the clinics is not intended to replace a patient’s primary care physician but rather to create a more all-encompassing system of healthcare.

“Our goal is to provide the highest quality care at sustainable costs for all of our employees,” said Wes Eklund, head of Fleet Engineers. “We are convinced that offering our employees the opportunity to use our on-site health clinics as a resource is one of the tools we need to deliver on our journey to meeting that goal.”

Brandon Champion covers arts and entertainment, business, sports and weather for MLive Muskegon Chronicle. Email him at bchampio@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter @BrandonThaChamp.