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McKee Foods Delivers Preventive Health
Care to Employees
Vienna, VA.
– March 4, 2008 – McKee Foods Corporation has joined the ranks of leading U.S. employers offering employer-sponsored health centers to engage employees and their spouses in preventive health care efforts. This national trend has developed to help both employers and employees avoid the significant medical problems that take time away from work and inflate insurance claims. Nearly one-fourth of large employers now have employer-sponsored health centers, according to a survey by the consulting firm of Watson Wyatt; another 6 percent plan to open them in 2008.
On Jan. 15, 2008, McKee Foods contracted with Comprehensive Health Services, Inc. (CHS) to manage its personal health clinics at its manufacturing facilities at Gentry, Ark., and Stuarts Draft, Va., as well as its off-site clinic near the corporate headquarters at Collegedale, Tenn. CHS is a leading national workforce health management company that specializes in health care programs.
In addition to emphasizing preventive health care through wellness screenings and education, the personal health clinics prioritize condition management and are intended to supplement the care of employees’ personal care physicians. Secondarily, the clinics can accommodate short-term, immediate care to employees and spouses enrolled in the “Better Health Pathway,” a McKee Foods corporate health and wellness program designed to help members focus on healthy lifestyle choices. The short-term care includes treatment for common illnesses, from sniffles to rashes, when patients cannot be seen by their physician. Prescription and laboratory services are also available.
The clinic will be staffed by full-time nurse practitioners, who are experienced in primary care and authorized to make referrals, as needed, to next-level medical specialists and private doctors using evidence-based medicine.
“The appeal of the personal health clinics lies in their convenience and accessibility,” says Eva Lynne Disbro, vice president, Human Resources for McKee Foods. “The clinics are located either within or near our plants and have convenient hours to encourage employees to get preventive care and to minimize time away from work. Employees and their spouses can utilize the clinic as a cost-effective supplement to their regular doctor.”
“The industry is experiencing significant change,” says CHS Executive Vice President Stuart Clark. “Employers, like McKee Foods, are demanding more than just high-quality clinical care through their on-site health centers. They’re demanding a patient-centered experience that leverages their larger investments in health improvement and disease management programs. In turn, they’re seeing greater health improvement and disease management program enrollment rates as the onsite health centers become the engines that drive health care to a new level. Returns on investment are significant, both for employers and employees.”
About McKee Foods
Founded in 1934 by O.D. and Ruth McKee, McKee Foods Corporation has grown to become America’s leading family-owned snack cake bakery. McKee Foods offers over 160 varieties of Little Debbie® and 26 varieties of Sunbelt® products that are sold in all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico. The company is headquartered in Collegedale, Tenn., and has production facilities in Gentry, Ark., and Stuarts Draft, Va. McKee Foods also owns the Collegedale-based subsidiary Blue Planet Foods, manufacturer of high-quality granola products including Heartland® cereals and pie shells. For more information, visit the McKee Foods Corporation website at www.mckeefoods.com. About CHS
Founded in 1975, CHS is the industry’s trusted provider of onsite health centers and national examination programs. Major corporations and government agencies look to CHS for workforce health and productivity management solutions including onsite primary care, occupational health and pharmacy services, as well as nationwide pre-placement and fitness-for-duty exams. CHS’ onsite health centers provide a range of treatment and prevention programs focused on acute and chronic health conditions. CHS tailors health care delivery to employers’ overarching benefits strategies and supports each organization with integrated health information systems. CHS can also deploy medical readiness teams to respond to employers’ health care needs on an emergency basis. For more information, visit the CHS web site at http://www.chsmedical.com.
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