Partnering with your local hospitals is a win-win

To stay vibrant, small towns need local businesses to support each other and provide the jobs and services the community needs. In the towns highlighted in this edition, the local hospitals provide much more than the basic medical needs to ensure families are safe and have access to great local care. Hospitals provide much more than the emergency room, primary care doctors, radiology, inpatient care and therapies. In addition, the hospital typically is a main employer of the region.

Growing up in a small town, my parents al- ways told me to support the local businesses. This includes finding out if that local business can provide the product or service that one does not think it would normally provide. Asking the business owners if they can provide the product or service can turn into a big win for both parties. The customer saves time and expense by staying local while allowing the business to increase/im- prove the products or services it provides.

Hospitals are no different. I encourage all business owners to find out all the services the lo- cal hospital provides. Many of those services can considerably help the bottom line of the business. For the sake of an injured employee, most hospitals provide occupational health services along with therapy services to return that worker back

to work as quickly and safely as possible. Hospitals can also help with preventive measures to avoid future injuries.

Hospitals strive to know what businesses need so they can support them in an array of medical services. Besides basic medical services, hospitals provide valuable prevention services including pre-employment screenings, wellness services, ergonomic consultation, safety education, flu shots, CPR training and blood pressure checks. Many of these services can be provided at your business location. These services can affect the bottom line by improving productivity, employee retention and health, as well as reducing workers’ compensation claims and insurance mod rates.

Every business needs to be able to answer this question: “How is your health business going?” Although most businesses are not in health care, the cost of employee health care, workers’ compensation and poor health of your employees is becoming more and more of a budgeting night- mare for businesses. Let your local hospital help you with this question while keeping services lo- cal and more affordable.