Cisco contracts with Take Care Health Systems on workplace clinic with remote accessibility
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Take Care Health Systems, a subsidiary of Walgreens, on Tuesday announced a relationship with Cisco to operate the LifeConnections Health Center on Cisco's campus in San Jose, Calif. The LifeConnections Health Center provides Cisco employees and dependents with comprehensive and integrated health-and-wellness services, including primary care, physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, vision, health coaching and an on-site Walgreens pharmacy.
In an innovative step for workplace-based health centers, Take Care Health System's clinical team at the Cisco LifeConnections Health Center also will offer acute care services for employees located at Cisco's campus in Durham, N.C., using Cisco HealthPresence technology. Cisco HealthPresence extends the reach of healthcare providers by allowing patients and clinicians to interact over distances through an integrated system of high-definition video, advanced audio, medical devices and collaboration tools. The use of the technology at the LifeConnections Health Center demonstrates the ability of a centralized clinical team to provide healthcare services for an employer's geographically dispersed workforce.
"We are taking a holistic view of health and wellness and providing employees with the ability to easily and safely connect with doctors and clinicians across great distance," stated Nirmal Patel, director of corporate medical programs at Cisco. "By combining Cisco technology solutions with Take Care Health's market presence, we believe we are helping to redefine how health services are delivered."
The Cisco LifeConnections Health Center is available to all Cisco employees. The San Jose LifeConnections Health Center location can serve 40,000 Cisco employees and dependents at the San Jose location and an additional 3,600 Cisco employees in North Carolina via Cisco HealthPresence.
"Through our network of Walgreens pharmacies, as well as through Take Care Health's leading position in retail and workplace health centers, we provide thousands of access points to healthcare services," stated Peter Hotz, group VP at Walgreens. "Exploration of innovative technologies, such as Cisco HealthPresence, will allow us to further grow our reach, in turn generating the potential for even stronger outcomes for patients, businesses and payers."
Employers are increasingly looking to offer on-site health-and-wellness services, according to a 2011 report from Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health. Results published in the report were generated from a survey of 588 employers conducted between November 2010 and January 2011 and showed that 23% of companies currently offer on-site health services and that an additional 12% of companies plan to begin to offer services in 2012.