OTC to open on-site employee health clinic

The clinic will cost $216,000 per year to run and will be led by Dr. Jim Blaine, who is a physician with Springfield Preventive Medicine Clinic and runs the on-site medical clinic at Paul Mueller Co. Blaine said he will operate the OTC clinic four hours a day on three days a week and will continue running Paul Mueller’s clinic as well.

Blaine said he plans to hire a nurse and a receptionist at the facility.

The clinic will be in OTC’s Lincoln Hall, which is home to the school’s allied health department. Blaine said he expects the proximity between the two to pave the way for student internships, residencies and other collaborations that will help teach students.

The full-service family practice will offer basic services such as EKGs, annual physicals, Pap smears, prostate and skin examinations, immunizations, disease management, acute care and minor office surgery.

The clinic will serve about 450 full-time employees and their dependents, according to OTC Director of Public Relations and Communications Joel Doepker.

Services will be free for employees, and the college hopes to benefit financially as well, Doepker said, in that premiums should stabilize and possibly decrease.

“Prevention does save money, we know that,” Blaine added. “It doesn’t make any difference whether it’s medicine or car mechanics – prevention saves.”

Several other local businesses have introduced employee clinics for the same purposes. EFCO Corp. in Monett earlier this month opened an on-site clinic, as did Silver Dollar City in Branson in April. City Utilities offers similar services.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s May 23 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.[[In-content Ad]]