On the early January 2017, Penn State Employee Health and Wellness Center will open its clinic in the Nursing Sciences Building at the University Park Campus to make the access to health care for employees available, cost-effective and high-quality in a convenient setting.
The Center is the University's goal to improve the employees' health despite on increasing health care cost. This is one of the priorities of the 2016-2020 strategic plan which is a collaboration between the Penn State and the Penn State Health. According to David Grey, Senior Vice President for Finance and Business in a Penn State News the Penn State Employee Health and Wellness Center is one of many plan features and programs that will promote a healthy community, advocate healthy choices and activities, and support the consistent and efficient management of health risks. Also, the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Susan M. Basso stated in a Penn State News that "The center is part of an overall strategy and linked to comprehensive services the University is providing to faculty and staff to encourage a culture of health" as cited on Campus Health.
The plan also helps the College of Nursing's mission to develop qualified nurse leaders at all levels of practice through integrated programs of nursing education, research, scholarship, and outreach. "The goal of the Penn State Health and Wellness Center is to help employees get timely assistance for minor illnesses in the most convenient way," said College of Nursing Dean Paula Milone-Nuzzo in a Penn State News. She also added that through helping people avoid major illnesses, we could improve the health of the community.
The center will only give basic care, life-threatening emergency situations and work-related injuries will be handled by Penn State's Occupational Medicine Practice in Suite 310 of the Medical Science Building directly in front of Mount Nittany Medical Center according to an article on Sutter Health.
The schedule for operation starting in the New Year is from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. This will be managed by three nurse practitioners, with a Penn State Health physician two days a week.
The fee will be based on Medical Insurance coverage while for those who have no insurance coverage will visit the Center to discuss the process of payments. Graduate and Undergraduate students should receive their care from the Student Health Center through University Health Services. Employees are required to bring their Penn State id+ card for the verification of the employment status and also their medical insurance cards, regardless of whether they are covered by Penn State's Medical Plan.
The opening in January 2017 will be preceded with a great start for another expansion of the center's features its medical services.
