BarnesCare recently received recognition from the Fort Zumwalt School District Board of Education for five years of serving the district with the dedicated medical clinic, ZumCare.

In collaboration with BarnesCare, part of BJC Corporate Health Services, ZumCare provides acute, preventive and primary care; chronic condition management; and X-ray, lab and pharmacy services, with no copays for Fort Zumwalt School District-insured health plan members and their dependents.

In October 2017, ZumCare started out with one nurse practitioner and two medical assistants, and in 2020, a physician was added to the clinic, where same day and next day visits are available.

“Everyone loves it and we have had wonderful and positive feedback from patients and visitors,” says Jane Myers, regional practice manager. “Follow-up surveys have indicated high patient satisfaction with the clinic, and patients appreciate the quality and convenience of the care they’ve received.”

A growing number of large school districts and employers across the country have opened on-site or near-site clinics exclusively for employees and their dependents. Unlike traditional BarnesCare clinics that typically provide occupational medicine services and treat only job-related injuries and conditions, ZumCare offers a spectrum of services, designed not only to treat injuries or illnesses, but just as important, to prevent them and promote wellness and health education for employees and their covered dependents.

Most visits at the ZumCare clinic are for acute problems — flu, sinus infections and chest congestion — as one might expect when employees spend most of their work time in an environment known as a virtual incubator for contagious sicknesses.

“ZumCare started out as a pilot program between the Fort Zumwalt School District and BarnesCare that led to a popular employee benefit for the employees and staff,” says Myers. “With the knowledge learned with opening and managing the ZumCare clinic, BarnesCare has since added a clinic for the Ferguson-Florissant School District employees and their dependents, and we continue to receive inquiries from other school districts about our services.

“ZumCare has been well received and we are honored to have this opportunity to work with Fort Zumwalt School District, and help keep their employees and families healthy,” Myers adds.