News
Wellness in the West
A year ago, Local 14 in Las Vegas opened a wellness center for their members. It’s a place where members and their dependents can get primary care— and many other health and wellness benefits—at no cost.
It was so popular that the local opened up another one just a few months later. There are now locations of the Teamsters Local 14 Family Wellness Center in Las Vegas and in Henderson, Nev.
“We’ve been trying to get this done for our members for four or five years now. We wanted to try a new way of providing health and welfare benefits to our members,” said Larry Griffith, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 14.
It wasn’t as easy as just building a health clinic, though. They needed to partner with an organization with experience; they needed a location; they needed approval by the trustees; they needed a staff. Griffith brought in Fred Horvath, Local 14 Vice President and Trustee of the Local 14 Security Fund, who worked with Activate Healthcare to open two Teamsters Local 14 Family Wellness Centers.
“So far it has been working out great,” Horvath said. “The amount of Local 14 members immediately using the wellness center showed us the need was there. Before long it was obvious that we needed a second location.”
“Our members love it. They have developed a good relationship with the staff there, who are fantastic. We hear all the time, ‘I can’t believe you did this for us,’” Griffith said.
Both clinics have a full MD on staff as well as several physician assistants and medical assistants. There are also lab facilities at the clinics.
“Local 14 now provides primary care and some urgent care to our members without involving insurance companies,” Horvath said. “This is at no cost to members, there are no deductibles, and if they’re prescribed any of the 75 generic drugs we have in stock, they can leave with that at no cost.”
Though the second location has only been open since May 2019, there is already talk of expanding.