Employees at Precision Valve and Automation used the on-site health clinic at the manufacturer's offices in Colonie more than 1,500 times last year.
That saves the company money because none of those visits are billed, said Kris Dzikas, the human resources director.
The clinic opened in 2012. Dzikas says the company estimates over a 10-year period, the clinic will cost about $2.1 million and save the manufacturer about $18 million on insurance premiums. And Dzikas expects the company to save even more this year, because the clinic now has access to employees' health records through Hixny, a health information exchange.
"That's huge for our practice here," Dzikas said. "It now allows our nurse practitioners and doctors here to be primary care physicians."
More than 200 employees at the company use the clinic, which has a nurse practitioner, physician and physical therapist on site. The physical therapist is on the company's payroll. The physician and nurse practitioner are independent contractors.
Precision Valve and Automation uses health insurer CDPHP, which signed the clinic up for Hixny. Dzikas says CDPHP covers the $75 a month cost to use Hixny, partly because it saves the insurance company money by cutting down on duplicate costs and helping people get better care.
Over the past five years, Dzikas estimates the company's insurance premiums have risen about 4 percent on average. That's compared with 10 to 20 percent premium increases for other companies in the area from what she's heard.
Those kinds of savings have prompted interest from other businesses in the area. Dzikas says several have reached out to get more information, though she did not share any names. She believes more companies might make the investment.
"I think you'll be seeing more of this," she said. "It is a huge benefit for our employees."
Precision Valve and Automation isn't the only company in the Albany region with its own health center. DeCrescente Distributing Co. in Mechanicville has an on-site clinic, too.
Having a clinic helps with recruiting, Dzikas says.
"It is a huge selling point for me as people are coming in," Dzikas said. "People are looking for more than salaries."
Employees and their spouses and families logged 1,545 medical visits and 1,793 physical therapist visits at the clinic last year.
More and more employees at Precision Valve and Automation are having their families come in to use the clinic as well. The company wants to encourage that, and Dzikas believes the Hixny partnership will help. Doctors at the clinic can now also draw blood, which is sent to LabCorp.
"We're just really promoting, starting to get the family members through," Dzikas said. "That's when we're really going to see savings in our overall plan."
Dzikas believes a company would probably want to have at least 100 employees to make the investment in its own clinic.
"I would've thought we were too small for this but definitely not. They are busy all day, the physical therapist and our doctor," Dzikas said. "It takes the employees a little bit to buy into it, to get used to going, to get comfortable but once they do, the utilization is great."
