Concentra was recently selected by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) to provide preventive and urgent medical services to all HISD employees through Concentra’s TotalCare™ suite of services. Beginning in May 2009, Concentra will operate a total of five worksite health and wellness centers, delivering primary, prevention, and wellness health services.

HISD, the largest public school system in Texas and the seventh largest in the U.S., selected Concentra to present a more effective way to manage employee health care costs and provide employees with a comprehensive health and wellness offering. Concentra was chosen for its innovative health services offerings, its proven ability to bring quality medical services to employer worksites, and its 11 community-based medical centers located throughout the greater Houston area. Concentra TotalCare blends urgent and preventive health services to improve the health and well-being of employees.

Concentra TotalCare also combines best-practice strategies to help identify potential health risk factors and promotes healthy lifestyles, and it focuses on employee health education and employee engagement throughout its health improvement programs. Concentra focuses on improving access to quality health and wellness services, reducing HISD’s overall health care spending, reducing worker absenteeism, and promoting a culture of health and wellness.

“Concentra has a strong track record of providing worksite health care solutions to some of the largest employers in the country,” said Mike McCollum, Senior Vice President of Concentra Health Solutions. “We are proud of our ability to provide skillful, experienced health care services to employees directly, where and when they need them. By improving the health and well-being of HISD employees, we can enhance and strengthen the community.”

Each TotalCare on-site facility will be approximately 1,500 square feet of space and open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The first two centers will open in mid-May, with three additional centers opening in August, before the new school year begins. All TotalCare worksite wellness centers will be staffed by two overseeing physicians, a nurse practitioner, and a medical assistant or licensed vocational nurse. Some support staff and select services will be provided to Concentra through an agreement with Clínicas Mi Doctor. Nearly 20,000 HISD employees will have access to full-service health and wellness offerings with the ease and convenience of services managed through these worksite facilities.

“The HISD is excited about the opportunity to help improve the health and well-being of all staff through Concentra’s proven health care solutions and integrated health and wellness model,” said Melinda Garrett, Chief Financial Officer for HISD. “By establishing an on-site health care clinic that is centralized and geared toward providing comprehensive medical services, we hope to positively affect the overall wellness and productivity of our workforce.”

TotalCare includes a program that presents a new option in employee health care by targeting the behaviors and issues that lead to poor health and chronic illnesses; at the same time, it yields a cost savings to employers. Because the program is customizable, employers can develop an offering that meets the unique needs of their workforce.

For more information about Concentra TotalCare and to learn how this comprehensive new program can enhance an existing health benefits program, visit ConcentraTotalCare.com.