Keys to Success: Implementing an Employer Healthcare Solution
May 15th, 2023 | 2 min. read
By Kristy Esch
Implementing an employer health center solution or adding a service to your existing care model seems like a big undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be. Clients and benefits consultants over the last year have given Marathon Health’s implementation process a 100% satisfaction rating, so we gathered some knowledgeable experts to share their secrets to success.
During our webinar, Keys to Success: Implementing an Employer Healthcare Solution, host Shelly Towns, Chief Marketing Officer for Marathon Health, spoke to our panel about a game-changing project plan that keeps everyone on track to achieve a smooth kickoff. The panel offered advice on details that you need to gather to implement an employer healthcare solution, what to expect (Including hiccups that might delay launch), recruiting healthcare providers to match your culture and how to ensure successful employee adoption.
The roundtable discussion includes great insights from:
Amy Crews, Human Resources Director, Wilson Tool
Jennifer Moore, Senior Director of Client Implementations, Marathon Health
Tina Shinn, Senior Account Executive, USI
Watch the Full Webinar — Keys to Success: Implementing an Employer Healthcare Solution
How a True Partnership Helps You Implement an Employer Healthcare Solution Successfully
Whether you’re considering implementing an onsite employer health center, joining a Network health center in your city or offering virtual care, Jennifer said your vendor should really be the one leading the charge. “We always say, you have a full-time job, so let us do as much of the work as possible. Our clients get a dedicated project manager to keep everyone moving in one direction. We want to make this a manageable experience.”
An onsite health center can take approximately 120 days to implement, while plugging into an existing Network or virtual care can take around 90 days. At a high level, an implementation plan can include establishing scope of service, recruitment and training of a healthcare team, communications and patient engagement, health center design and buildout (for an onsite clinic).
Wilson Tool had an existing health center, but when their vendor decided to get out of the business, they had to figure out next steps. “We had to make a decision to keep the clinic. We had to figure out other potential partners and do reference checks. It was a big deal,” says Amy.
That’s where Tina of USI stepped in, and together they chose Marathon Health to operate their health center. “Marathon just brought a level of confidence to that process that made us all feel very self-assured right from the start. We were just so pleased with how the whole process rolled out,” Tina says.
Wilson Tool team members had the opportunity to help choose the healthcare team, a key to a successful partnership. “Wilson Tool has always viewed the clinic as part of their company, even though it’s technically separate,” Tina says. “They understand the value of the business partnership of the providers, and that any partner had to understand the culture and their employees.”
Amy added success begins with the relationships the care team builds with employees: “Sometimes those nurse practitioners know the employees better than I do,” she quips.
Ensuring the Wilson Tool team uses the health center is vital to long-term success. Amy says it starts by talking about the center in its recruiting efforts, onboarding new hires, and ongoing communications, like company newsletters. Wilson Tool also had a recent meet-and-greet with the providers. “We had over a hundred employees come,” she says. “Marathon had sent us a survey about our culture, and next thing you know, I had a list of marketing materials that we could use, and we did.”
Tina and Amy both agreed when choosing a health center vendor partner, pick someone that’s detail-oriented who you can trust. “The key to our success as an entire team was everybody was on board. Everyone was committed to the project,” Tina says.
“I have a very strong trust in the relationship and the partnership we’ve established,” Amy added.
Jennifer says your success ultimately comes down to choosing the best partner for you. “Do your homework, know what you’re looking for,” she says
Watch the full video to get advice on launching a health center for your employees!
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Webinar: How to Build Your Case for an Employer Health Center and Get CFO Approval