By Al Moore
You would have to be lost at sea for the past two years to be unaware of the confusion surrounding healthcare reform.
Even though a reform bill has passed, very few business owners know exactly how it will affect them over the long term.
Many government contractors in Hampton Roads count direct labor and healthcare as two of their major cost components. Employee wellness and cost containment are sometimes conflicting goals, but that problem can be solved.
One organization, American Maritime Holdings, Inc., parent company of Marine Hydraulics, Inc., Tecnico Corporation, and Ocean Marine Yacht Center, decided to go straight to the source.
AMH provides a wide range of marine repair and fabrication services to federal, commercial, and individual customers. AMH delivers these services in multiple modes: at their own facilitated repair yards, or remotely by dispatching technical crews to perform on-board repairs wherever the vessel is located.
In either case, the AMH business model is very labor intensive. Employee wellness is an important factor in their success.
In order to improve employee health, while reducing costs, Gary Brandt, AMH Chairman and CEO, established an onsite clinic in an under-utilized building. He then staffed it with a physician and nurses. As of May, the clinic resides in a 2,800 square foot, purpose-built facility in Chesapeake. Gary was able to realize a vision that had been formulating for a while.
“These things don’t happen overnight. It took seven years of thought and a lot of support to make it happen,” Brandt said.
The most surprising aspect of the program: it provides free healthcare to employees. By acting on his belief that AMH employees are like a large family, Brandt backed up his belief with funding. Brandt said simply, “To succeed, you have to invest in your people. It wasn’t just a cost-cutting move. We’re improving their wellness and enhancing their lives.”
Brandt, a life-long engineer, has the metrics to backup his statements. “We’ve detected more undiagnosed cases of high blood pressure that I can count, but I can get those figures. I know we’ve caught two unknown cases of cancer and at least one stomach aneurism,” Brandt said.
His measurements were instrumental in AMHs ability to institute a facility-wide ban on smoking. “Even the Navy doesn’t smoke on our property,” commented Brandt.
The AMH healthcare plan is comprehensive as well. The clinic provides referrals to outside specialists, when such care is needed. An extensive employee training program has also been instituted, enabling employees and their families to increase their awareness of effective preventive measures.
Gary Brandt and the entire leadership team of AMH and its subsidiaries are committed to the program. Having the beliefs and resources to set their own course enables them to meet their goals, despite the confusion that impacts so many other firms.
