A New Type of House Call

*The fodder for this article came from Continental Airline's Magazine.

Satisfying today's time-deprived workers sometimes requires imagination. Solutions are easier than one might think. For example, everyone knows how inconvenient it is to schedule a visit to the doctor's office. You have to find time to call, block out time for traveling and waiting, and then there is the time for the visit itself. Merrilll Lynch seems to have found a solution. Three times a week, the Merrill Lynch headquarters is visited by a physician from NY's Hospital for Special Surgery. Employees can schedule on-site checkups during these visits.

The benefits appear to be many. According to a survey of 200 employees:

• 58% said the arrangement was convenient.
• More than nine of ten said the service made them feel better about the company.
• Almost nine of ten said they were more likely to use the company's managed care program because of the physician visits.
• Because of the program, earlier detection of problems reduced the potential for later medical emergencies.