Troup County controls insurance costs and keeps employees healthy with onsite primary care clinic

WeCare tlc enables the regional Georgia county government to provide high-quality, easily accessible health care services to their workforce

Industry: Government 

Client: Troup County 

Location: LaGrange, Georgia 

Serving: 600 employees

Benefits

• Maintained the cost of employee insurance premiums for three consecutive years
• Utilization of the health center as a recruitment tool
• Healthier employees
• Proximity to the health center 
• Ease of access to health care services
• Availability of telehealth services 

Services

• Onsite Health Center
  • Virtual health care through Spruce  
  • Diagnostic imaging services through Green Imaging 

Overview

In the past decade, Troup County, Georgia has effectively lowered healthcare spending and improved employee well-being through the opportunities available at the Troup County Clinic, a WeCare tlc near-site health center.

The county’s utilization of WeCare tlc’s advanced primary care solutions allowed them to maintain the cost of employee premiums for three consecutive years, build a healthier workforce, and increased accessibility to healthcare services.

Troup County

With a demographically diverse population of 70,000, Troup County, Georgia is located in the west central portion of the state, approximately 45 minutes south of Atlanta. The county encompasses three cities: Hogansville, West Point, and LaGrange. 

Troup County is an industrial community with manufacturers like Kia and Remington Firearms running plants in the area that employ many citizens. The county also boasts a large reservoir with abundant recreational resources for locals including hunting, fishing, and more.   

In addition to being a manufacturing hub, Troup County prides itself on its educational system. “We see ourselves as a mecca of educational resources for young families,” shares Eric Mosley, County Manager of Troup County Board of Commissioners. “Troup County has reputable public schools and the THINC College & Career Academy, a career-centric charter school. We also encompass three higher-educational institutions including LaGrange College, Point University, and West Georgia Technical College as well as nontraditional educational resources tied to agriculture.”

Headquartered in LaGrange, the Troup County Government employs 600 people in 30 departments including public safety, judicial courts, and community services. Eric has made improving the health and wellness of his employees and their families one of his top priorities since becoming CEO of the county about five years ago. 

Challenge

When Troup County was struggling with rising healthcare costs a decade ago, the county leaders at the time worked with their benefits advisor to find a new employee healthcare solution that would not only lower costs, but also provide high-quality care and improve overall population health. 

When Troup County found WeCare tlc, they knew the company was the perfect partner to help them reach all of their goals through the establishment and management of an advanced primary care health center. 

Dive deeper: 
The story of Troup County Clinic’s beginnings

Solution

Since the Troup County Clinic’s opening in 2011, the near-site collaborative health center has proudly served the county’s employees and additional employer partners over the years, currently including LaGrange College and ADVICS Manufacturing Georgia, LLC.

Through their partnership with WeCare tlc, the county clinic also provides the same advanced primary care services for inmates at the Troup County Jail who are then able to leave the facility in much better health than when they entered.

Open during standard business hours five days a week, the Troup County Clinic aims to be an inviting place where employees and their families are welcome to have all their health care needs fulfilled.

“I’m a very strong proponent of our WeCare tlc clinic,” shares Eric. “Since becoming an employee of Troup County, my family and I have not been to a traditional doctor’s office. The health center is our primary care home, and the medical staff at the clinic is a part of my Troup County team.”

Outcomes

Troup County employees are required to utilize the clinic for wellness visits and labs which both controls health care costs and keeps employees healthier.

According to Eric, the clinic utilization has been so effective that a recent compensation study found that the cost of employee premiums have not increased in the past three years. 

“By not having to raise premiums, we’ve been able to have a fund balance in our health accounts which allows us to maintain premium costs for longer despite a potential increase in the future,” explains Eric. “Our individual employees are able to truly see their paycheck go up without being sucked away by an increase in insurance costs as occurs with so many other companies.”

The proximity to the health center and the ease of access to its services are some of its greatest benefits to Troup County employees. “Personally, my wife recently needed some lab testing done for an annual doctor’s visit. Instead of having to drive over an hour to a neighboring town, she was able to go to the Troup County clinic at a moment’s notice and get her labs done within a few minutes of our house,” shares Eric of his own experience.

Through WeCare tlc’s preventative primary care services, Troup County employees are able to identify health issues before they become major problems. “People often avoid going to the doctor because of the cost of copays. With our WeCare tlc clinic, the cost of a visit is baked into our premiums, so our employees visit the clinic at no cost,” Eric explains. “It opens an opportunity for our employees to go and deal with acute issues before they become major problems, so that they can get healthier and get back to work much quicker than they normally would. It also avoids them having to go to the ER for non-emergent issues and pay a high deductible.”

The benefits of the preventative practices of the clinic’s services is greatly exemplified by a story that Eric shares of one of his building officials. “A few years ago, one of my employees visited the clinic for an annual check up and the nurse found an anomaly in a test she ran that indicated he was about to have a heart attack,” Eric outlines. “The nurse noticed the symptoms before it was too late, and the doctor he followed up with at the hospital said she truly saved his life.”

With data from WeCare tlc’s Clinical Analysis Toolkit (CAT), an annual report on the success of the Troup County Clinic found that:

• 81% of all eligible employees have utilized the health center.
• 67% of provider visits were for patients who designated the health center as their medical home.
• 21% of the members utilizing the health center have not incurred a health plan claim.
• 56% of patients with a diabetes diagnosis have their hemoglobin A1C within target.
• 83% savings in outside lab orders completed inside the health center versus in the community for those on the health plan.

As an employer, Eric utilizes the clinic as a recruiting tool anytime he’s working to attract new department heads to Troup County whom he’s responsible for interviewing and compensating. “During interviews, I’ll often try to stop by the clinic to show prospects around, so that they can see the vast opportunities available at the clinic for themselves and their families,” shares Eric.

Coincidentally, Troup County added a telehealth option for their employees through Spruce just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual technology offered by WeCare tlc allows employees to easily and reliably speak to their Troup County Clinic doctor face-to-face through video calling. “Many days during COVID, we could visit with our doctor or Physician Assistant right from our office, home, or car and continue maintaining our health without sacrificing our safety. It’s a great, low cost solution that we’ll continue utilizing for years to come,” says Eric.

Next Steps

As part of the county’s commitment to continuous healthcare improvement, Eric allocated a recent federal grant for renovations to the Troup County Clinic, located in a former county government office. The renovations include new hardwood flooring, signage, lighting, counter tops, and lobby furniture plus a television. There will also be a filtration component added to the heating and air system as well as the creation of a separate sick room to provide a cleaner, safer environment for patients.

When it comes to future health initiatives for Troup County, Eric shares that they have some exciting ideas in the pipeline for prescription medication and weight loss programs.

The county is also on the verge of partnering with Green Imaging through WeCare tlc to provide their employees with diagnostic procedures at zero out-of-pocket cost. “Green Imaging is a potential game changer for our employee group,” states Eric. “The cost of medical imaging can be priced differently every time, so with a static number from Green Imaging that we can count on, it will help drive down our overall health care costs.” 

Eric is also interested in the opportunities that lie within the county’s ownership and maintenance of the Mike Daniel Recreation Center—featuring a 12 lane indoor swimming pool, hockey rink, weight gym, and basketball courts—which is available to employees and their families at no cost. “I’d love to see a way to motivate our employees to take advantage of the wellness center on a regular basis,” shares Eric. “Preventative medicine has been a game changer for our workforce. If I can keep my employees well at the clinic, I’d love to also keep them healthy at the wellness center.”

Final Thoughts

“I’m very thankful for the resources that the Troup County Board of Commissioners has allocated to our employees,” expresses Eric. “Speaking for myself, I’m very grateful to have resources at my fingertips that allow me to live a healthier lifestyle.”

“Eric is one of our most engaged clients who really understands our vision for changing the way healthcare is delivered,” shares Lauren Kirschner, WeCare tlc Director of Client Services. “We’ve been able to establish a true partnership through mutual support and communication, and that’s what’s really helped make the Troup County Clinic successful.”

Ready to improve the health of your workforce? We’re here to help! Take advantage of our experience offering advanced primary care to companies and organizations across the U.S. at our onsite and near-site health centers.

Contact us today to learn more.