Groov-Pin, Children’s Friend, R.I. Medical Imaging, AAA, CVS named PBN’s top Healthiest Employers

SHANNON SHALLCROSS, right, head of client services at InsurTech Pinpoint Predictive, delivers the keynote address Thursday during Providence Business News' 2023 Healthiest Employers of Rhode Island Awards ceremony at Providence Marriott Downtown. / PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI
SHANNON SHALLCROSS, right, head of client services at InsurTech Pinpoint Predictive, delivers the keynote address Thursday during Providence Business News' 2023 Healthiest Employers of Rhode Island Awards ceremony at Providence Marriott Downtown. / PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

PROVIDENCE – Groov-Pin Corp., Children’s Friend & Service, Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc., AAA Northeast and CVS Health Corp. were the top companies recognized Thursday in Providence Business News’ 12th annual Healthiest Employers of Rhode Island Awards program.

The five organizations were among the 24 companies and nonprofits recognized during a breakfast ceremony at Providence Marriott Downtown. The organizations were judged based on their responses to several questions regarding their programs for physical, financial and mental well-being, as well as on what makes their programs stand out. The ceremony also formally announced the company rankings in each of the five categories.

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Groov-Pin, a Smithfield-based manufacturer, was the top winner in the 2-99 employees category. Children’s Friend, a Providence-based social services nonprofit, was the winner in the 100-400 employees category. Rhode Island Medical Imaging, based in Warwick, earned top billing in the 500-1,499 employees category. AAA Northeast, the automotive and tourism benefits organization based in Providence, earned the top honor in the 1,500-4,999 employees category. CVS, the Woonsocket-based pharmacy retail giant, was the top company in the 5,000-plus employees category.

Groov-Pin, AAA Northeast and CVS are repeat winners in the program.

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Also Thursday, Shannon Shallcross, head of client services for Silicon Valley-based InsurTech Point Predictive, delivered the event’s keynote address on health care spending, better understanding health data – what’s in it and what’s not – and that health is about “people first.”

Shallcross said that one-size-fits-all wellness programs at companies don’t lower health care costs, contrary to popular opinion within the business realm. She said after looking at health data with an unbiased lens is that half of the approximately $4.3 trillion in health care spending across the U.S., came from just 5% of the people.

The other half, Shallcross said, made up 3% of health care spending. Additionally, 90% of the U.S.’s health care spending is for chronic mental health conditions, she said.

“The message here is that the bulk of costs come from narrow pockets of people,” Shallcross said. “They key to impacting overall health costs is by thinking about all of this differently.”

Shallcross said one approach employers can better understand their population’s health is through data. For most employers in Rhode Island, it is outliers that are having the highest impact on costs for treatment and drugs, particularly those with chronic conditions, she said. Also, some people don’t seek treatment for severe health matters, such as cancer or mental health, because of fear of either stigma or coming face to face with high treatment costs, she said.

In dealing with health care data, Shallcross said employers should stratify people via a “risk score,” which captures a person’s overall picture of health. Those with a low score are normally healthy with no conditions, she said, while those being treated for various ailments, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, will have higher risk scores.

Once employers have better levels of understanding of an employee’s health, employers can better target their investments in the workers’ health needs, Shallcross said.

The full rankings that were announced Thursday are:

2-99 employees

  • Groov-Pin Corp.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island
  • Greenwood Credit Union

100-499 employees

  • Children’s Friend & Service
  • Cooley Group
  • Coastal1 Credit Union

500-1,499 employees

  • Rhode Island Medical Imaging
  • Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island
  • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island
  • South County Health
  • The Washington Trust Co.
  • Toray Plastics (America) Inc.
  • University Orthopedics Inc.

1,500-4,999 employees

  • AAA Northeast
  • Gilbane Inc.
  • Point32Health Co.
  • Ocean State Job Lot
  • FM Global
  • Marcum LLP

5,000-plus employees

  • CVS Health Corp.
  • U-Haul International Inc.
  • Lifespan Corp.
  • Prime Therapeutics LLC
  • CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann PC

Profiles of all companies and organizations honored in this year’s program are included in a special section that will publish along with the Aug. 18-31 print and digital editions of PBN.

R1 Indoor Karting Inc. is the gift sponsor for PBN’s 2023 Healthiest Employers of Rhode Island Awards program.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.

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