Sonoco opens employee health center at Hartsville headquarters [The Messenger, Hartsville, S.C.]

<p><chron>Oct. 03</chron>--<location value="LU/us.sc.harlle" idsrc="xmltag.org">HARTSVILLE</location> -- For Sonoco officials, the premise behind Monday's opening of a state-of-the-art employee health center on its <location value="LU/us.sc.harlle" idsrc="xmltag.org">Hartsville</location> campus is simple: A healthy employee means a happier, more productive employee.</p><p>"Sonoco has always believed that helping employees live safe and healthy lives is the right thing to do for them and the smart thing to do for Sonoco," said Sonoco Chairman and CEO <person>Harris E. DeLoach Jr</person>. during Monday's ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony. "Healthy employees are safer and more productive. And the healthier we are, the less we spend on health care costs personally and as a Company."</p><p>The Sonoco Health Connection will be open during regular weekday business hours to give employees quick and easy access to a nurse practitioner, a health coach, a medical assistant and a collaborating physician while at work.</p><p>Corporate officials with Sonoco and <org value="ACORN:3622060708" idsrc="xmltag.org">Blue Cross-Blue Shield</org> joined Sonoco employees in taking short tours of the new facility, which was renovated from an existing building. A cross-functional Sonoco team that included members from employee benefits, engineering, buildings and grounds, corporate IT, corporate communications departments and the <org>Hartsville Services Group</org> played a key role in the construction and set up of the center. <org>CHS Health Services</org> and <org>BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina</org> were also involved.</p><p>Sonoco employees who don't feel well can visit the Sonoco Health Connection, pay a reduced co-pay and get examined, diagnosed and treated without having to leave Sonoco's <location value="LU/us.sc.harlle" idsrc="xmltag.org">Hartsville</location> campus. And, because it also houses a limited-service pharmacy that can provide an initial 30-day supply of the most commonly prescribed medications, prescription renewals, drug interaction counseling and education, and over-the-counter medications, employees may not have to drive to the local drug store, either.</p><p>Routine medical services available to Sonoco employees at the Sonoco Health Connection include minor illness care, non-worked-related minor injury care, general blood work, blood testing ordered by external providers, and lab tests for strep, mono and pregnancy. Employees can also receive personalized medical consultations for high-risk conditions; care management and coordination, including referrals to a primary care physician, specialists, Sonoco's employee assistance program, the on-site health coach and available community resources; and chronic condition/disease management for asthma, diabetes, migraines, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.</p><p>The primary focus of the Sonoco Health Connection, operated by <org>CHS Health Services</org>, a leading national workforce health management company, is employee wellness. Wellness services available include preventive health and physical exams, wellness assessments/exams and biometric screenings, vaccinations, and nutritional, weight management and smoking cessation counseling provided by an on-site health coach.</p><p>"We recognize that employees spend a majority of their waking hours at work and that we need to provide easy access to programs and services that can help them manage their health," said <person>Shirlee Sanderson</person>, Sonoco's manager of Employee Benefits. "Safety and health go hand in hand; a fit and healthy employee is much less likely to be injured. The Sonoco Health Connection gives employees quick, convenient access to medical personnel and helps us create a culture of health that promotes and supports preventive screenings, medication compliance and effective management of health conditions, stress and work/life management issues."</p><p><person>Matt Shaffer</person>, senior vice president with Blue Cross Blue Shield South Carolina, said the new health is not something completely new to the insurance provider, but it is "a best in class model" in terms of what larger corporations provide their employees.</p><p>"This is something that Sonoco and its employees can be very proud of," said Shaffer. "It will pay huge dividends for the company and its workers."</p><p>DeLoach agrees with that assessment.</p><p>"We believe we'll see both a short- and long-term return on the investment we're making to encourage healthy living and early management of potentially serious and expensive health issues, like blood pressure or high cholesterol, through reduced health care costs and improve employee productivity," said DeLoach.</p><p class="shirttail">___</p><p class="shirttail">(c)2011 The Messenger (Hartsville, S.C.)</p><p class="shirttail">Visit The Messenger (Hartsville, S.C.) at www2.scnow.com/community/messenger/</p><p class="shirttail">Distributed by MCT Information Services</p>