Walgreen’s First Employee Wellness Center

Last year in November, Walgreens Distribution Center in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, opened its first wellness center. The wellness center is 4,200 square feet and provides Walgreen’s employees and their immediate family easy access to:

• A primary care physician
• A nurse practitioner or PA,
• A Registered Nurse
• A Wellness specialist

Along with the convenience of a quick venue for health needs, those Walgreen employees enrolled in the company’s insurance program will only have a $5 co-pay for the services. To further benefit the company and its employees, those employees who are not on the health plan will also have access to the facility; they will though have a different fee schedule.

Walgreens corporate medical director and vice president of population health and productivity Dr. Lucy Crane discussed the launch with the Mt. Vernon Register-News, “Whether it’s a work-related condition, routine medical checkup or an illness that arises, we’re proud to offer our employees convenient access to on-site health care services and other beneficial wellness resources.”

Noting the wellness strategy of preventive medicine, Crane added, “Walgreens is taking a proactive approach to encouraging good employee health and controlling medical costs, which is especially important as health care funding and related issues become a greater concern for business and their employees across the country.”

Benefits of comprehensive wellness programs have been well documented. According to Take Care information provided by Walgreens, companies that take advantage of workplace health centers demonstrate a decrease in the employees’ need and use of emergency care facilities, such as emergency rooms. This type of program also reduces employee absences, which in turn enhances productivity.