Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The Oregon public employe. (Salem, Oregon) 1981-???? | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1994)
BUBB’s new Health, Education, and Wellness Center Innovative Center to increase health access, reduce cost After years of planning and listening to thé concerns of OPEU- represented state employees, the Bargaining Unit Benefits Board has pioneered another health care inno vation that will increase accessibil ity and reduce cost. In September of this year, BUBB will open its new Health, Education, and Wellness Center, a clinic owned and operated, not for the insurance company, the hospital, or the doctor, but for the consumer — the OPEU/ BUBB member. “This results in a new orien tation to medical care,” said OPEU Benefits Director Chuck Mendenhall. “Our members have expressed frustration and anxiety about access, information, diagno sis, outcomes, and personal atten tion. This will change in the new clinic. Employees and their families will come first.” Free, qualified, medical consultive services are just a phone call away. Perhaps, your doctor has rec ommended you change your diet and increase your exercise. You can phone the BUBB Health, Educa- tion, and Wellness Center on an 800- number from anywhere in the state and the information you need — perhaps on a videotape — will be mailed to your home. If a family member has been di agnosed with a termi nal disease, you may need more information about the disease, ideas about how to support and care for her at home, and counseling to help you deal with your own fears and worries. The BUBB Health, Education, and Wellness Center has anticipated your needs and will be set up to meet them in cooperation with your family member’s doctor — whether you are in Portland, Salem, Pendleton, Coos Bay, Medford, Ontario, or any where else OPEU-represented state employees live and work. • BASIC MEDICAL SER VICES - The Center staff will pro vide such basic medical services as treatment of sore throats, respira tory infections, colds, coughs, and flu, vaginal infections and other women’s health problems, rashes, urinary tract infections, headaches, depression, and ill-defined condi tions such as dizziness and pain. In addition, BUBB mem bers and dependent family members can receive stitching of minor lac erations, evaluation of strains and sprains, evaluation and treatment of other wounds and bums. At the receptionist’s desk, BUBB members can receive the results of a test of their health, sign up for a. wellness class, or ask to visit one of the Center’s nurse practitioners. The BUBB member will meet with the Center’s nurse practi tioners in one of six exam rooms in the center for basic medical services. • PREVENTIVE CARE - The Center will emphasize preven tive care by offering annual pap and pelvic examinations, adult physical examinations, school and sport physical examinations, blood pres sure monitoring, cholesterol moni toring, flu shots, adult immuniza tions, and exercise-related issues,. Other services will include evaluation of suspicious skin lesions, removal of small warts and moles, and evaluation and treatment of boils and cysts. Ultimately, the Cen ter will provide better access and service while helping to hold down insurance premium increases by promoting pre ventive care. Its success could result in other simi lar clinics being opened. “The BUBB Health, Education, and Wellness Cen ter will belong to the employ ees it serves»” Mendenhall said. “The Center will con tribute to health care access, quality, long-term cost con The BUBB Health, Education, and Wellness Center opens in September in this building at 775 Court Street NE, Salem, just off the Capitol Mall. Page 2 trol, and member satisfaction for state employees.” The 3,657-square-foot BUBB Health, Education, and Wellness Center is located at775Court Street NE in Salem. But, the services of the Center will be available to state employees statewide covered by the Bargaining Unit Benefits Board. • RESOURCE CENTER Members entering the building will find an array of health care informa tion available to them at the Health Resource Center library. The library will have books, pamphlets, and audio and video tapes on keeping healthy our hearts, eyes, backs and every other part of the body, reducing stress, increas ing fitness, changing our diet and im proving our nutrition, on women’s health and children’s health. BUBB members will be able to take acomput- erized health risk analysis in the Center’s library. On another occasion, per haps at noon, perhaps in the evening, the BUBB member Will return to the Center for health and wellness classes or sessions on deal ing with back pain in one of the Center’s two conference rooms. More information regard ing the Center will be in worksite posters, flyers, and The BUBB News. If you would like more information about the Center, don’t hesitate to call the OPEU Benefits Department at 503/399- 8542 or BUBB at 503/^73-1174.
