By creating worksite health clinics that focus on comprehensive primary care and wellness programs, the Wisconsin-based printing company Quad/Graphics transformed itself from a purchaser of health insurance to an investor in employee health and productivity. The worksite clinics, managed through its subsidiary QuadMed, place a high priority on patient health and convenience by organizing care so that it is oriented toward prevention and outcomes rather than production. Patient visits, which last 30 minutes or longer, enable physicians to address health prevention needs and promote the company's wellness programs, which promote physical activity, weight loss, smoking cessation, and early identification and control of diabetes, as well as risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The company’s health care model has helped to lower costs, improve health outcomes for employees, and enhance their experience of care. All three are goals of the Triple Aim, an Institute of Healthcare Improvement initiative in which QuadMed participates.
This study was based on publicly available information and self-reported data provided by the case study institution(s). The aim of Commonwealth Fund–sponsored case studies of this type is to identify institutions that have achieved results indicating high performance in a particular area of interest, have undertaken innovations designed to reach higher performance, or exemplify attributes that can foster high performance. The studies are intended to enable other institutions to draw lessons from the studied institutions' experience that will be helpful in their own efforts to become high performers. Even the best-performing organizations may fall short in some areas or make mistakes—emphasizing the need for systematic approaches to improve quality and prevent harm to patients and staff. The Commonwealth Fund is not an accreditor of health care organizations or systems, and the inclusion of an institution in the Fund's case study series is not an endorsement by the Fund for receipt of health care from the institution.