Keeping your employees healthy isn't just about fostering a positive work environment. On-site health clinics are rapidly becoming a popular perk for South Carolina businesses of all sizes. And with health care costs on the rise, it can be a game-changer for the company as well. 

These convenient clinics offer a wealth of benefits for both employers and employees, leading to increased productivity, happier staff and potentially significant cost savings for your company. It can also help you build a winning employee wellness program. 

Tracie Stafford, an account representative at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, often works with South Carolina businesses that offer on-site options for their workers. 

On-Site Care That Fits You

On-site health clinics can look different depending on your budget and goals. We have seen everything from a full-service clinic to regular health fairs that bring in outside experts. 

Carolina Health Centers, this year’s Columbia region mid-market winner for our LiveLifeBlue awards, employs a wellness coordinator that visits each site to promote and offer a range of wellness resources. The company hosts biometric screenings, flu shots and cancer screenings on-site each year.

Another employer has a full-time nurse who travels to the company’s locations for various health events, which can include the following and more: 

• Hosting lunch and learn sessions 
• Creating personal diets 
• Presenting cooking demonstrations
• Leading grocery shopping trips 
• Having education events

Employers can create a program that works for their budget and employees. Some of the businesses Stafford works with host annual biometric screenings so that workers can get their health information such as A1C and cholesterol levels checked. 

“The benefit is that it can be whatever is reasonable for you,” Stafford says. “For some, that full, on-site clinic might not be something they can accommodate. And that’s OK.” 

Benefits for You and Employees 

The goal is to improve employees’ and their dependents’ health. Recent studies show that the number of adults getting the recommended preventative health care* is decreasing. Preventative care can be key for reducing the risk* of diseases, disabilities and death.  

Often cost and access* pose a hurdle for people getting the kind of care they need. Offering on-site care for employees removes barriers. 

“Employees may discover health issues sooner because of the easy and timely access,” she says. 

Other ways on-site care benefits you include the following: 

• Improves employee attendance 
• Lowers the risk of making others sick 
• Builds employee confidence in a company that “takes care” of its people. 

Reducing Health Care Costs 

It comes down to the bottom line. Employers can benefit from lower health claims costs from a healthier workforce. On-site care can have a real impact on your employees’ health. 

“There are cases where an on-site nurse has helped employees move from high-risk to moderate or low-risk health categories,” she says. “We’ve even seen some employees no longer needing medication because of the care they received.” 

Offering on-site care also becomes a perk to help bring in new talent. Employers with on-site clinics often get high employee satisfaction*.  

“Employees feel valued by their employer and see it as a perk for working there,” Stafford says. “This can result in lower employee turnover.” 

Challenges for On-Site Care 

There is a cost associated with offering this kind of care for your employees. If you have a full-service clinic, you’ll need the physical space for it as well. 

While the option is popular with employees, it can often be a challenge for dependents to make use of the services. For some businesses, dependent care may be the most expensive. 

Here To Help

Our account representatives such as Stafford can help with educational materials to give out at health fairs. But they also have experience and insight for companies that want to know what other businesses are doing. 

*These links lead to third-party websites. Those organizations are solely responsible for the contents and privacy policies on their sites.