Amazon piloting healthcare centers near fulfillment centers
Amazon is piloting third-party primary care clinics near several of its fulfillment centers and operations facilities nationwide. The company announced Tuesday that it would be partnering with Crossover Health to open the centers, the first of which will be located in Las Colinas, Texas.
“Across the U.S., an increasing number of patients do not have easy access to a primary care physician and instead utilize emergency or urgent care options, which is not only more expensive for patients, but also overlooks important preventative care opportunities,” said Darcie Henry, Amazon’s vice president of human resources. “We want to solve that for our employees, and the launch of these new neighborhood health centers will provide a range of quality primary care services for employees across the country — further strengthening Amazon’s industry-leading benefits program, which provides comprehensive healthcare for employees starting on day one of employment.”
Amazon said Crossover Health works with self-insured employers to connect employees and their families with an integrated primary care team. The first neighborhood health center in the pilot will feature extended hours to accommodate employees’ work schedules and will be open exclusively for Amazon employees and families. The clinic will include acute, chronic, preventive care, prescription medications, vaccinations, behavioral health services, physical therapy, chiropractic care, health coaching and care navigation to specialty services. It also will feature same-day pediatric services. The company said Crossover Health’s platform allows patients to start their care online and transition to in-person care as needed.
Through the initial pilot, Amazon expects to set up 20 health centers in five cities — Dallas/Forth Worth, Texas; Phoenix; Louisville, Ky.; Detroit; and San Bernardino/Moreno Valley, Calif. If the pilot, which will serve more than 115,000 employees, is successful, the plan is to open additional facilities in other cities.
“We are proud to collaborate with Amazon to support the health and wellness of Amazon’s employees. Crossover Health believes that exceptional primary care is central to continued health and well-being,” said Scott Shreeve, CEO and co-founder of Crossover Health. “Now it’s more important than ever to make care available through multiple channels and across the full continuum. Our advanced primary care model will serve as vital infrastructure to deliver expanded access to care in-person and online to meet the needs of Amazon’s employees and their families.”
Amazon said that the clinics strengthen its health-and-wellness to its employees alongside its benefits that include a $15-an-hour minimum wage, health coverage, dental and vision, as well as a 401(k) program, among other offerings.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Amazon has come under fire from employees who have asked the e-commerce giant to step up its efforts to ensure their safety and implement better contact tracing efforts.
“Prevention and early detection is essential to remaining healthy, and the importance of primary care cannot be understated. I appreciate seeing the collaboration between Amazon and Crossover Health to ensure their employees have access to quality and convenient health care services,” said Congressman Michael C. Burgess, a physician who represents Texas’ 26th Congressional District. “I am also pleased that this pilot program will run in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The health and wellness opportunities Amazon is providing its employees should spark inspiration for other companies to follow suit in providing similar benefits.”