Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan announces new On-Site Clinic for City of Clarksville Employees

Clarksville, TN – As you all know, helping Clarksville become a healthier and fitter city has been one of my priorities since I took office. Beginning with the creation of the Mayor’s Fitness Council, I began to look for ways that we could encourage individuals, businesses and organizations to address our collective health issues. I believe that the City can, and should, set an example for others to follow.

I am, as you know, also committed to saving the City money where possible and practicable. In this case, by building an on-site health care clinic for the City’s employees, we are able to offer more health care options and encourage them to become healthier and save money for our employees and the City of Clarksville.

We’ve begun to clear it out and it will be transformed over the next few months into a state-of-the-art, professional health care facility.

Here, our employees and their dependents will be access care for a host of medical needs including:

• Primary care visits
• Preventative care visits
• Care for acute and chronic medical issues
• Occupational care services
• Immunizations
• Prescription services and medications
• Lab Work
• Wellness assessments and coaching and a
• 24/7 nurse line.

And these are just some of the benefits.

We are very happy to be able to offer this benefit to our employees. As I’ve said many times before, I believe Clarksville has the very best city employees in the State of Tennessee and they deserve the best care we can offer.

The health care clinic will also provide the opportunity to assist them in doing their jobs. Studies have shown that companies and entities that offer this kind of option see an improvement in productivity and work attendance and a decrease in overall health care costs. As more employees use this facility, the City’s health care coverage costs are reduced.

Let me give you an example. Imagine an employee has been working on a computer all day and develops a headache. She’s also been around her child’s friends and has learned that one of them is suffering from a virus. Rather than having to take the day off, and pay the co-pay for a doctor’s visit, this employee can visit the clinic, get a quick diagnosis and some medication to alleviate her pain and then return to work. She’s gotten the medical treatment she needed, didn’t have to use a sick or annual day and is relieved to know that she’s generally in good health (and not suffering from a virus).

There are, of course, many other examples of saved time and money that will come to fruition thanks to this clinic. And, importantly, the clinic will be available to our employees, and there are over 1,000 people working for the City full-time, and their dependents.

The services, including the staffing decisions, will be made by our partner in this endeavor. After a Request For Proposal process and thorough review, we determined that the best services would be offered by CareHere of Brentwood, Tennessee. CareHere has a reputation for excellence in care, in response and in their desire to work with the City to do more than treat illnesses and injuries. It was extremely important to me to have a partner that is committed to offering programs that address preventing illnesses and injuries and I believe CareHere will do that.

I also want to recognize Mr. Will Wyatt. Mr. Wyatt is the Director of the Human Resources for the City of Clarksville and he has been instrumental in making this clinic a reality and in bringing CareHere to Clarksville. As we move forward, Will and his team will continue to work closely with CareHere to identify the programs Clarksville employees need most and to re-invent the building space to address those needs.

I am very proud of this project and I know this is going to be a tremendous benefit for our employees, their dependents and the City of Clarksville. Thank you.