Trident Seafoods Corporation, one of the nation’s leading seafood companies, has upgraded their health care program to provide a unique new benefit to 600 regional employees, 400 of whom work in Ballard at the corporate office. Combined with family members, the move will improve health care access for 900 people.

Trident has signed a contract with Seattle based Vera Whole Health in order to open a near-site primary care clinic in the Tallman Medical Building near Trident’s corporate headquarters in the Ballard.

“We’re incredibly excited to be working with Trident Seafoods,” said Ryan Schmid, president and CEO of Vera Whole Health. “Trident is an innovative leader in its industry, and it’s no surprise that the company has chosen to take such a forward-thinking approach to helping employees manage their health.”

Vera offers onsite and near-site health clinics for organizations in exchange for an affordable monthly flat-rate fee employers contribute for their employees. Vera’s clinic – with physicians, nurses and health care coaches – has a goal helping employees develop and maintain healthy lifestyles through proactive strategies.

Vera largest onsite clinic is a partnership with Seattle (SCH) Children’s Hospital. According to Vera, their program has proven to reduce health care costs for SCH clients by up to 25 percent after one year in operation.

However, Vera is not a sole health care provider for Trident Seafood employees. Vice President, Admin/Risk Management and Assistant General Counsel at Trident Seafoods, Joe Misenti, said that Vera’s services are provided as a supplement to employees current health care benefits.

So how do they do it?

Their strategy is preventive care. Vera uses what they call “Whole Health coaches” who work one-on-one with employees and Vera’s full-time medical team to address health issues before they start.

Moreover, the structure of the care is somewhat different from traditional health care models. Patients spend more time with their provider and have unlimited access to the facility.

Sick care is more appropriate for traditional health care,” said Schmid. “You go to the doctor when something is wrong and most people don’t use 100 percent of their plan. We are first and foremost in addressing preventions care, keeping patients well when they are well, and providing tools and resources to keep them healthy.”

Schmid said each visit is called a “whole health visit,” which can last up to an hour, compared to a standard seven to 15-minute appointment with a traditional doctor. This allows patients more than ample time to address questions and discusses treatment options. In addition, the coaches discuss patient’s lifestyles and goals in order to identify and support wellness choices and behaviors.

Vera’s proactive approach is right in stride with the Trident philosophy, Misenti said.

“We’ve been pretty involved with wellness for five years now and this is really just the next step in our wellness program, ” said Misenti.

“Vera Whole Health is the right solution for the health care challenges that so many employers are facing these days,” said Joe Bundrant, CEO of Trident Seafoods. “We are excited to launch this clinic as a resource to keep our employees healthy.”

Since the chance of becoming seriously ill or sustaining a major injury is always possible despite proper preventive behavior, Vera also stands ready assist Trident employees seeking specialized care from other providers. Costs for those visits would ultimately be handled through traditional Trident employee benefits.

“We are a medical home for patients. Any touch point outside of Vera we can help patients with. ...Vera can be a health home for them and we can help them (patients) find the best options for their condition,” said Schmid.

With SCH also partnering with Vera, there is an emerging trend for a prevention model in healthcare. Vera has already partnered with multiple large companies in the region.

“I think that there is a trend toward outcome and not just for service. By in large employers are footing the bill for health care and they are starting to purchase health care as something that’s good for their business. … Employers want more direct access and better care for less money. Our model gives that and employers are becoming aware of it,” Schmid said.

“I think we’ve done a good job raising awareness for preventive care. … We think it’s the right move because we have an interest in making sure our employees are healthy. Our employees are our number one asset,” said Misenti.