UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When you’re at work and suddenly find yourself struggling with illness or a minor medical condition, feeling better fast should be your only concern. How much your medical treatment will cost should be the last thing on your mind.
That’s why easing your pain and discomfort won’t be the only goal of the Penn State Employee Health and Wellness Center when it opens on the University Park campus in January. Providing cost-effective, high-quality and convenient care to Penn State employees will be the center’s focus.
Located in the Nursing Sciences Building, the center will use the same payment structure as all other facilities operated by Penn State Medical Group, part of Penn State Health, to provide employees with high-quality acute care in a convenient setting. An employee’s experience at the center will replicate that of their physician’s office, both in treatment and in how they pay for care.
The center is the result of the University’s commitment to fostering a culture of health, identified by leadership as a priority in the 2016–2020 strategic plan. To help address rising health care costs for both employees and their employer, Penn State, along with Penn State Health, set forth a plan to improve the health of employees.
“The Penn State Employee Health and Wellness Center is one of many plan features and programs that will promote a healthy community, advocate healthy choices and activities, and support the consistent and effective management of health risks,” said David Gray, senior vice president for Finance and Business. “The center provides an opportunity for employees to get treatment for minor medical conditions at the workplace, eliminating the need to take time to travel to their physician’s office.”
The center will provide basic care on a walk-in basis. Patients will be seen for many common conditions, including, but not limited to:
- abdominal pain and stomach aches
- allergies
- bronchitis
- colds, coughs and flu
- eye, ear, nose and throat infections
- nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- minor rashes and skin conditions
- sinus infections and sinusitis
- abrasions, sprains and strains not associated with a workplace injury
The center, scheduled to operate from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday starting in the new year, will be staffed by three nurse practitioners, with a Penn State Health physician on site two days a week. The fee structure will be based on medical insurance coverage. For example:
- Full-time, part-time, and wage employees enrolled in the PPO Blue Plan will have the co-pay waived.
- Full-time, part-time, and wage employees enrolled in the PPO Savings Plan will see a bill for the office visit once the claim is processed.
- Postdoctoral employees are eligible for treatment and will pay according to the same PPO Blue or PPO Savings plans protocol as full- or part-time employees.
- Employees with insurance coverage other than Penn State’s will be charged based on the provisions of their plan.
- Those with no insurance coverage should speak with staff at the center to discuss payment arrangements.
Should an employee need other services following a visit, such as lab work or X-rays, additional expenses may apply and would follow the provisions of their health plan.
Graduate students and undergraduate students should receive their care from the Student Health Center through University Health Services.
Employees should remember to bring their Penn State id+ card to verify their employment status. They should also bring their medical insurance cards, regardless of whether they are covered by Penn State’s medical plan.
The center will not be designed to handle life-threatening emergency situations. Anyone experiencing an emergency situation such as chest pain, faintness or shortness of breath should call 911 or head to the emergency room immediately.
Anyone with a work-related injury should be treated at Penn State’s Occupational Medicine practice in Suite 310 of the Centre Medical Science Building, directly in front of Mount Nittany Medical Center.
For more information on the Penn State Employee Health and Wellness Center, refer to the first and second articles on the topic previously published in Penn State Today.