Perdue Farms opens another wellness center

Perdue Farms  marked the opening of its newest on-site primary and occupational health care Wellness Center  at the Perdue AgriBusiness complex in Salisbury. 

The 900-square-foot Wellness Center is among 15 located at the company’s major facilities and the fourth on the Delmarva Peninsula. Perdue also has Wellness Centers located at its Delmarva facilities in Georgetown and Milford, Del., and Accomac, Va.

“Most employers health plans focus on delivering treatment,” said Chairman Jim Perdue. “We’ve developed a program that delivers better health. It’s a substantial investment on the part of our company, but the payback is that our associates and their families are healthier. That’s a return on investment that benefits our associates, our company and the community.”

The Wellness Center offers primary care, occupational health services and on site laboratory draws.

More than 350 associates work at the Zion Church Road Complex representing Perdue AgriBusiness, Perdue Transportation Inc., a feed mill, hatchery and garage.

“For our associates and their covered dependents, the Wellness Center becomes their family doctor,” said Dawn Carey, Perdue Farms’ director of Corporate HealthWorks and Wellness. “That’s because the Wellness Center is a doctor’s office – it just happens to be located where our associates work.”

Perdue’s on site Wellness Centers overcome two of the biggest obstacles to obtaining primary health care: accessibility and affordability, according to the company.

Employees can make appointments to see a health-care provider at the Wellness Center without taking time off from work and while still getting paid for the time. Perdue partners with health care professionals from the community to provide the medical care.

For associates and dependents covered by Perdue’s insurance, the cost to visit the Wellness Center is a $15 co-pay. Employees not covered by Perdue’s insurance can visit the Wellness Center for $30 per visit.

The Wellness Center is part of Perdue’s comprehensive health and wellness program, which emphasizes primary care and control of risk factors and manageable diseases.

The program includes the Perdue Health Improvement Program (HIP), a voluntary workplace health promotion program.

HIP received national recognition as a C. Everett Koop Health Award winner and was honored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with a Secretary’s Innovation in Prevention Award.

Perdue also offers discounted health insurance to employees who voluntarily participate in HIP, see a primary care provider on a regular basis and agree to take an active role in managing their risk factors.

Perdue Farms is  the parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness.  Brans include Perdue, Harvestland, Coleman Natural and Coleman Organic.