WorkingWell expands at Saint Anthony

CROWN POINT - The Occupational Health program at Saint Anthony Medical Center is working well, in more ways than one.

WorkingWell is the title of the program, which also serves Sisters of St. Francis Health Services Northern Indiana Region sites in Michigan City, Hammond, Valparaiso and Munster. The Saint Anthony Medical Center program is working so well it is relocating effective July 27 to larger quarters at Franciscan Point, the medical center’s new outpatient complex, where it will offer clients more convenience and serve to consolidate with other services offered there.

"In the four-plus years WorkingWell has been offered, we have moved or remodeled every location. The Saint Anthony Memorial (Michigan City) site, which is the headquarters, is the only one that hasn’t moved,” said Tim Ross, SSFHS regional director of Occupational/Employee Health.

WorkingWell is the brainchild of Gene Diamond, regional CEO, who launched the effort in 2005.
The program has more than 3,000 clients, among them municipalities, health care facilities, nursing homes, county government agencies, the U.S. Postal Service, steel, manufacturing, construction and utility companies.

Ross said the number of clients has increased 20 to 30 percent since 2005.
“Much of it can be attributed to educating companies about what occupational health can do for them. Customer service also is key; our surveys show a satisfaction rate of 95 percent,” he added.
Some 45 employees, among them seven doctors and two nurse practitioners, serve WorkingWell clients.

Services include:
* Physicals, including Department of Transportation, sports, executive, pre-placement and independent medical exams.
* Functional evaluations.
* Fit testing (respirator).
* Drug and alcohol screenings and substance abuse referrals.
* Spirometry (lung testing).
* Audiograms (hearing exams).
* Blood panels.
* PPD (tuberculosis) testing.
WorkingWell also will come to clients and provide many of those services and more, including:
* Bone density screenings.
* Pulmonary function tests.
* Health fairs and educational programs.
* CPR and first-aid training.

WorkingWell also offers Health Injury Prevention and Travel Medicine programs.
Earlier this year, WorkingWell became the first such program in the state to receive (three-year) certification from the National Association of Occupational Health Professions group.
“The program’s total health management focus is the health care management system of the future for business and industry. WorkingWell is exceptional in all areas,” said Donna Lee Gardner, who evaluated the program for NAOHP.

Karen Wallisch, School City of Hammond chief administrator for business services, sums up the feelings of the majority of WorkingWell clients.
“WorkingWell has provided the School City of Hammond with excellent medical and health services for several years. They are our Workers Comp ‘go-to’ facility and provide our employees with excellent care when they are injured on the job. I would recommend WorkingWell to any employer who is interested in providing outstanding occupational health services to employees,” Wallisch said.

The new Crown Point location will be Suite A 204 at Franciscan Point, 12800 Mississippi Parkway (along U.S. 231, about one-half mile east of Interstate 65. Scheduled hours are 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8 to 4:30 p.m. Fridays. For more information, call (219) 662-5500.

For more information on WorkingWell’s other locations or services, call (866) 552-9355 or visit www.WorkingWellsite.org.