Today, the St. Louis - Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council marked the grand opening of their 10,000 sq. ft. St. Louis area Carpenters Wellness Center, managed and primarily operated by Cerner Corporation. As part of their union benefits, members and their families can now visit the new center to receive a range of health care services at zero out-of-pocket cost.

“We’re now able to provide Carpenters and their families a one-stop shop for the majority of their medical and preventive care needs without the cost burdens associated with traditional medical care,” said Carpenters Executive Secretary-Treasurer Al Bond. “By providing affordable and convenient care, we hope to improve the overall health of our membership while removing two key barriers, access and cost.”

The Wellness Center offers both urgent and primary care, chiropractic care, physical therapy, certain lab services, x-ray and behavioral health services. Additionally, members and their families can access a full-service pharmacy, as well as wellness and health coaching. The center also features a state-of-the-art vision center, powered by Vision Service Providers, which will offer eye exams and vision care.

Cerner executives joined Carpenters members, union leaders and board members in a ceremony and ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the new on-site center.

“Opening this wellness center marks an important step toward providing members and their families with quality care tailored to their needs, with a focus on long-term health,” said Mike Heckman, vice president, Population Health Services, Cerner. “The Carpenters Union has served the tri-state area for more than 130 years and we’re bringing many years of workforce experience to help deliver great health outcomes for their members.”

The Wellness Centers work to minimize wait times while maximizing time spent with the care team to provide a better member experience and improve health. By offering convenient access to acute and preventive care, chronic condition management, education and health risk awareness, the Wellness Center services are structured to help members and their families stay healthy. These centers will provide a valuable benefit by helping reduce the need for costly appointments with specialists and visits to urgent care facilities.

With the addition of the Wellness Center (and a second location coming soon to Kansas City), Carpenters are leading the way to help recruit more people to the field of skilled labor. There’s a looming workforce shortage as baby boomers retire. Offering innovative benefits like the Carpenters Wellness Center may help attract new talent to the field, while providing a distinct health care advantage to existing members.

Under Cerner’s management, the Wellness Center will pair high-quality clinical services with technology, including their platform for population health management – HealtheIntent^®. Through a person-centered model of care, members and their families will be encouraged to proactively manage their health through an online health portal, integrated with their electronic health record, designed to encourage sustainable, healthy behaviors.

Cerner currently operates health centers across the country, including centers for its own workforce and other union organizations.