For urgent care operators who offer occupational medicine services, the value of those services is self-evident. Likewise, businesses that already count themselves as occ med clients are likely to recognize the benefits for their employees and their own operations. So, where’s the disconnect for those businesses who “don’t need” an occ med provider? The answer may be that they simply don’t get it, if an article posted recently by Personnel Today is any indication. “Many employers remain woefully ignorant about what occupational health can do, its value (versus its cost) and the benefits it can bring to the workplace,” the article reads in part. If that sounds unnecessarily harsh, be aware that occ med providers aren’t off the hook, either; the article notes that many aren’t doing enough to spread the word. Quoting a variety of government resources, the article notes that only 63% of providers do any form of marketing at all—mostly to employers, and very seldom to clinical commissioning groups or health insurers. Of the 37% who confess they don’t do any marketing for occ med, many believe they “received enough business without it.” If you don’t feel you have all the occ med success you can handle, be aware that prospective clients may simply not understand how you can help them. The Personnel Today article lists the services most commonly provided, including:
- Supporting staff with mental or physical ill health
- Supporting a return to work
- Attracting and retaining talent
- Investigating underperformance or poor conduct
- Verifying medical statements or health surveillance
Does that list reflect services you’re prepared to offer (or maybe are already providing)? Whether it does or not, let the business community in your area know what you can do for them. They’ll thank you in the form of new or increased revenue streams. (For an excellent introduction into establishing an occupational medicine line of business in your urgent care center, read Foundation of Occupational Medicine in the Urgent Care Setting in the JUCM archive.)