CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The latest game changer in the quest to reform the nation’s health care industry is a one-of-a-kind full-service primary care office that recently opened in Pensacola, Florida.
Owned by Health Options, Inc., a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF), and operated by the country’s leading provider of on-site health centers, Healthstat, Inc., Florida Blue Health Care Services is the nation’s first retail health center to provide a broad range of primary care services, such as wellness and prevention, care coordination and referral management, dispensing of most commonly prescribed generic medications and onsite Quest Diagnostics laboratory services alongside health insurance plan offerings.
Florida Blue Health Care Services is located within the Florida Blue retail store in the Cordova Commons shopping center in Pensacola. At the retail store, individuals may purchase health insurance, have face-to-face consultations, take advantage of basic health screenings and wellness events, and learn about various health care options. Healthstat physicians, nurse practitioners, care coordinators and support staff that work at the clinic deliver a new dimension of service by treating both acute and long-term health conditions with a focus on prevention. The clinical staff places particular emphasis on high-risk health and disease management, which has the greatest impact on improving patient health and reducing medical costs. Medical services are available to individuals age 12 and up covered under a Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plan.
This is not the first time BCBSF has partnered with Healthstat. In 2009, BCBSF retained Healthstat to implement an employee-based clinic at the BCBSF headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida. That clinic, which is available to BCBSF employees, has brought about significant improvements in employee health and has helped reduce health care costs in the two years it’s been in operation.
“We are honored to be working with Healthstat on this first-of-its kind primary care facility,” said Dr. Jannifer Harper, vice president of medical operations for BCBSF. “Their focus on delivering high-quality and affordable care is in perfect alignment with our approach to providing health solutions for all Blue Cross and Blue Shield members.”
By making provider visits more convenient for its customers (open Monday - Saturday) and using open access scheduling and automated processes, appointment wait times are virtually non-existent. As a result, BCBSF and Healthstat believe more people will see a doctor when they are sick, develop a long-lasting relationship to manage their overall health, and ultimately have fewer medical claims due to improved health. Fewer medical claims reduce the cost of insurance premiums, which has a direct impact on lowering costs for Blue Network plan participants.
Another significant advantage of Florida Blue Health Care Services is that medical records are electronic and maintained in real-time, which allows a patient’s medical team — regardless of where they are located — to access patient records at the same time and weigh in with professional advice or to prescribe treatment.
“Everything in Florida Blue Health Care Services with the exception of the one-to-one patient-clinician interaction will be automated to ensure the delivery of accurate and efficient high quality health care,” said Healthstat CEO Crockett Dale. “By putting convenience back into the health care equation while utilizing technology and intense training to ensure the highest quality care, individuals are more apt to see about their health and, likewise, become healthier and contain costs.”
In addition to the on-site employee clinic it operates at BCBSF headquarters in Jacksonville, Healthstat operates 300 other clinics around the country that serve a combined employee and dependent population of more than 200,000 people. By identifying chronic health risks and working with individuals to manage their conditions before they become serious, Healthstat has saved employers millions of dollars in health care costs annually and improved worker productivity by keeping people healthy and on the job. Florida Blue Health Care Services is the first non-employer center operated by Healthstat.
For more information about Florida Blue Health Care Services visit www.floridabluecenters.com/pensacola/ or call 850-479-3790. To learn more about Healthstat, visit www.healthstatinc.com.
About Healthstat, Inc.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Healthstat, Inc. is a leading provider of on-site primary care, high-risk health and disease management services in employer facilities. Established in 2001, Healthstat currently manages and operates more than 300 clinics across the U.S. with a combined employee and dependent population of more than 200,000 people. The service model offered has been proven effective in various types of organizations, including Manufacturing, Retail, Governmental, Distribution, University, and Not-For-Profit Human Service Employer settings. For more information, visit www.healthstatinc.com.