(Marinette, Wis.) – In an effort to rein in the rising costs of medical care and collaborate on health and wellness initiatives, a contract that brings together Marinette/Menominee’s largest employers and its major healthcare providers was announced today.

The HCI board approved the agreement Thursday, July 11, according to board president Joan Tomek, Anchor Coupling Human Resources Manager. HCI is a healthcare coalition of 15 employers located in Marinette and Menominee Counties and together they represent over 10,000 insured lives.

“HCI’s mission is to help our members find affordable, high quality healthcare locally, whenever possible” Tomek said. “This contract is a critical step in allowing us to work toward meeting that goal.”

The contract between HCI and the NorthShore Network, which includes Bay Area Medical Center, Oconto Memorial Hospital, NorthReach Healthcare, Tri-County Physicians and the Touchpoint Preferred Network will give member companies reductions in their healthcare costs when employees and their families use services and physicians in the plan, as well as establishing a mechanism for collaborating on health and wellness initiatives. The contract will run for four years.

NorthReach Healthcare, a partnership between Bay Area Medical Center and Bellin Health, is a 12-clinic primary care network that covers Marinette, Menominee and Oconto counties and includes 24 physicians and providers. Tri-County Physicians is an organization of independent physicians in the same geographic area. Touchpoint Preferred is a network of hospitals, physicians and providers in the Green Bay and Fox Valley Area and includes providers throughout fourteen Wisconsin counties.

The members of HCI include Aerial Company, Anchor Coupling, Décor Products, Fabtek Corporation, Giddings and Lewis, Interstate Welding Sales Corporation, John Veriha Trucking, Karl Schmidt Unisia, Lloyd Flanders Industries, Marinette County, Manitowoc Company/Marinette Marine, Menominee Paper, Nu-Vu Food Service System, Rennes Group, and Silvan Industries.

“Employees and their families will have affordable access to over 60 local primary care doctors, providers and specialists who are in the network,” according to Silvan President Barry Berquist, a member of the HCI negotiating team. “And with Bay Area Medical Center also in the plan, employees will be able to stay close to home for the majority of their hospital care, surgery and testing needs.”

David Olson, BAMC’s CEO, hailed the agreement as a breakthrough for turning the corner on rising healthcare costs. “This contract will establish an even stronger working relationship between area employers and local healthcare providers,” Olson commented. “It’s a deal that’s good for our businesses, their employees, the physicians and our hospital.”

According to Tomek, “We have seen double digit increases in healthcare costs that companies and their employees have had to absorb. As a result, all parties realize the importance of creating this kind of working relationship.