Expanding access to care for Georgia’s state employees
Access to primary care is one of the most effective ways to keep people healthy and ensure they stay on top of preventive services. Research consistently shows that having a primary care provider leads to lower mortality rates and improved health outcomes, including reductions in deaths from heart disease, cancer, stroke, and infant mortality. Given that the average person spends about a third of their life at work, employers have an opportunity to facilitate access to these services and support their teams in staying healthy.
Recently, Georgia’s State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) took a significant step toward improving quality healthcare access, combining high-tech solutions with personalized, high-touch care. In collaboration with SHBP, we launched the first OnMed CareStation in Georgia, located in one of the largest state office buildings in downtown Atlanta. Housed within the Sloppy Floyd Building, this CareStation brings healthcare services directly to state employees and school system employees, offering free primary and urgent care without the need for appointments. Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., it provides services like blood pressure checks, medical exams, prescriptions, and treatments for common health issues—all from the convenience of the workplace.
During a week-long open house earlier this month, over 200 state employees and school system employees came to check out the services available to them through the CareStation – and a few even received care on the spot. One member with a chronic cardiac condition shared how the CareStation will make it possible for them to get checkups regularly and conveniently, right at work. Another member, who was diagnosed with a skin condition, was able to get an OnMed consultation in the morning and had their prescription filled by that afternoon. Additionally, several state employees learned how to monitor their health independently, including one person whose high blood pressure was discovered during a consultation at the CareStation.
The open house culminated with a special ribbon cutting ceremony, during which our chief commercial officer, Elizabeth Colyer, shared how it truly “took a village” to make this new offering possible, thanks to the collaboration between Sharecare, SHBP, OnMed, and Georgia’s Department of Community Health. But more importantly, she noted that within just a few days, we already were witnessing how this stands to change the way people think about accessing care.
I’m incredibly proud of the feedback we’ve received so far, especially from members who have seen the CareStation in action. I am also incredibly grateful for our partners and commitment from the state to make it easy for people to receive quality healthcare services right in their place of work. SHBP members are able to track and manage their progress using the Sharecare app. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this launch. As Elizabeth said, it takes a village, and we are humbled to be a part of this latest initiative in Georgia alongside our phenomenal partners.
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SHBP members are encouraged to manage their health engagements and track progress through the Sharecare app, available at www.BeWellSHBP.com.
