ROCKFORD, Ill. – UW Health is expanding access to its employer-based health care clinic model in northern Illinois through a new partnership with M3 Insurance and The Alliance.
The new arrangement will make Partners Health Center available to more employers beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
The enhanced model takes a holistic approach to health by integrating primary care, behavioral health therapy, nutrition services, specialty pharmacy benefits and workplace wellness programs into a single location to help employees stay healthier while reducing overall health care costs.
More employers are looking for innovative ways to improve health care access for their workforce while keeping costs affordable, according to Kelly Walsh, director of business development for UW Health in northern Illinois.
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“With this model, we aim to provide same-day or next-day access to primary care providers and the support services people need, in a way that is still cost-effective for employees and employers,” she said.
The plan also includes access to a medication management program, with a limited number of prescription medications dispensed on site, which helps patients lower their out-of-pocket prescription costs while delivering pharmacy savings for employers.
Recently, services have expanded at this clinic so patients now have access to a full-time licensed behavioral health therapist who will provide behavioral health therapy services.
The clinic has also added a full-time licensed dietitian who will provide nutrition counseling for patients at risk for, or currently managing, chronic diseases, support patients using GLP-1 medications and work with individuals seeking lifestyle changes to improve their health.
The center will also offer onsite corporate wellness services designed to support employee engagement and preventive health. Available services include annual health risk assessments and biometric screenings, wellness education sessions, health coaching, fitness classes, chair massage, company-wide wellness challenges and an online wellness portal.
At Partners Health Center, patients also receive longer appointment times and no out-of-pocket costs for services provided at the clinic.
To access care at Partners Health Center, employers must purchase the appropriate plan through the Employers' Coalition on Health ECOH, a nonprofit employer coalition based in Rockford, or now, The Alliance. M3 Insurance is launching, for the first time, a preferred partnership with UW Health in northern Illinois to encourage employers to offer this Direct Primary Care plan to their employees from The Alliance.
Partners Health Center, 2601 N. Main Street in Rockford, has served as an employer-based clinic since 2019. UW Health employer-based clinics currently care for about 12,500 people and support approximately 25 employer groups in northern Illinois. UW Health employer-based clinics include the RPS 205 Employee Health Center, which supports Rockford Public Schools District 205, Woodward Health Center, Woodward Occupational Health Center, Belvidere School District 100 Wellness Center and Partners Health Center.
Employers can attend an informational event on Wednesday, Aug. 26, to learn about the program from 4 to 6 p.m. at Franchescos, 7128 Spring Creek Rd., Rockford.
