Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 53

EMAIL

Superintendent Peggy Buffington, PhD,
says the clinic initially was created in
partnership with St. Mary Medical Center
to give students convenient access
to care.
The community clinic's success
prompted the district to establish
an Employee Health and Wellness
Partnership with St. Mary Medical Center
and the Community Care Network. Under
the agreement, the district provides
employees and insured dependents open
access to clinic services.
Buffington says the Brickie clinic has
helped to limit days out of class for students and teachers.
"Teachers will come into the clinic on
their lunch hour or during their preparation period," she says. "Julie is cognizant
of the fact that if she can see them during
one of those times, they are going right
back to class. They are not taking a sick
leave day unless they have something that
she recommends they go home."
The relationship between the care
provider and the patient is very personal, Buffington says.
"They know who Nurse Julie is, and
they just feel that everything is going
to be OK because she is there to help
them get better," she says. "It has been
very impactful."
Patient education is key to Burk's
approach to care.
"We spend a lot of time with patients
explaining their condition and helping them incorporate new treatments
or lifestyle factors into their lives,"
she says.
For local businesses, the Employee
Health and Wellness Partnership means
fewer employee sick days. Having fewer
insurance claims reduces premium
costs, and access to preventive care
helps employees avert more costly
acute treatment.

"It was an idea we had talked about
when we built the facility, as a way to
offer our employees a benefit they
would value and to help the company
overall try to combat rising healthcare
To learn more about setting
costs," Modern Forge Chief Financial
up an Employee Health and
Officer Greg Heim explains.
Wellness Partnership for
The clinic at Modern Forge is open
your business or organization,
two afternoons a week and provides
contact Lisa Kiger
employees and dependents with basic
at 219-947-6058 or
family-health services and treatments
Lisa.M.Kiger@comhs.org.
for common ailments. Community Care
Network internal medicine specialist
Eduardo Fletes, MD, who has office
hours at the clinic, joins Burk to
their "clinic," with a broad base of serprovide care.
vices and convenient access.
Avoiding more costly hospitalizaMany workers see Employee Health
tions and emergency room visits is a key
and Wellness Partnerships as a tangible
incentive for cost-conscious employers.
benefit of employment.
"The expense of maintaining the
"I've had employees who have been
part-time clinic pales in comparison to
with the company for over 30 years tell
just one or two hospital stays a year,"
me that this is the best benefit they have
Heim says.
seen the company provide in a very long
"Every partnership is customized
time," Heim says. ■
based on what the company wants,"
says Lisa Kiger, business development
director at St. Mary Medical Center, who
works with local businesses to structure
agreements according to
their needs.
For example, in August
St. Mary Medical Center
entered into an Employee
Health and Wellness
Partnership with the
Valparaiso Community
Schools. Under that
agreement, employees
covered by the district's
insurance plan receive
basic and immediate care
services at the Valparaiso
Health Center for a flat,
per-visit fee paid by the
Nurse practitioner Julie Burk provides care to students, their
district. The Valparaiso
families, employees and community members at the Brickie
Community Health Clinic at Hobart High School.
Health Center acts as

Partnering for
Better Health

W INT E R 2 01 7

53



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare

Contents
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - Cover1
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - Cover2
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - Contents
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 2
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 3
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 4
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 5
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 6
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 7
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 8
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 9
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 10
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 11
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 12
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 13
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 14
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 15
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 16
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 17
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 18
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 19
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 20
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 21
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 22
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 23
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 24
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 25
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 26
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 27
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 28
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 29
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 30
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 31
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 32
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 33
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 34
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 35
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 36
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 37
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 38
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 39
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 40
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 41
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 42
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 43
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 44
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 45
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 46
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 47
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 48
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 49
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 50
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 51
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 52
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 53
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 54
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 55
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - 56
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - Cover3
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Community Healthcare - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2020summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2020spring-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2019winter-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2019fall-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2019summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2019spring-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2018winter-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2018fall-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2018summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2018spring-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2017winter-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2017fall-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2017summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2017spring-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2016winter-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2016fall-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/manifest/vimvigor_2016summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2016spring-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2015winter-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2015fall-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2015summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2015spring-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2014winter-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2014fall-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2014summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2014spring-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2013winter-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2013fall-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2013summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2013spring-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2012winter-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2012fall-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2012summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2012spring-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2011winter-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2011fall-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2011summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2011spring-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2010winter-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2010fall-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2010summer-ch
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mcmurry/vimvigor_2010spring-ch
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com