Priority Health Purchases The Wellness Center to Expand Services

(Grand Rapids, Mich. – October 19, 2005)
Priority Health has finalized plans to purchase The Wellness Center of Western Michigan, a company that has provided more than 20 years of worksite wellness programming for hundreds of companies in West Michigan. The Wellness Center, a joint venture of Metropolitan Hospital and Spectrum Health, has been sold to Priority Health in a move to expand the Center’s impact on improving health in the region.

As a result of this agreement Priority Health will assume responsibility for the delivery of wellness programs to current Wellness Center clients.

The integration of the Wellness Center into Priority Health’s business will expand its services to provide Priority Health and non-Priority Health employer groups with additional onsite health screenings, health promotion programs and extensive health risk management. Metropolitan Hospital will continue to provide the Executive Health Program.

"Priority Health and The Wellness Center share a common delivery model – both work with employers, but Priority Health serves as much broader region," said Metropolitan CEO Mike Faas. "The decision for Metro to maintain the Executive Physical Program makes sense because our role is the direct delivery of patient care."

Spectrum Health President and CEO, Richard C. Breon, echoed the sentiments of Faas saying, "Because of its existing relationship with employers and its regional multi-health system ownership, Priority Health is the logical organization to take The Wellness Center to the next level. Under Priority Health's guidance, I am confident The Wellness Center will flourish and, as a result, so too will the health of the community."

"The integration of The Wellness Center and Priority Health enhances our ability to provide employers with targeted health solutions," said Wendy Wigger, director of wellness for Priority Health. "It supports Priority Health’s continuing efforts to develop informed and engaged consumers."

The Wellness Center specializes in starting and managing wellness programs for medium and large sized employers. It was originally founded 25 years ago by Metropolitan Hospital. Butterworth Hospital, now a part of Spectrum Health, purchased a 50 percent interest in 1986.

Priority Health currently offers employers wellness offerings including onsite classes, support in health screenings and HealthbyChoice^SM – an innovative program designed to reduce health costs by rewarding people who take control of their health. Priority Health also offers its members HealthyEncounters^SM wellness classes at its offices and around the community, many of them free.

Company Information:
Priority Health is a nationally recognized health plan company based in Michigan. It provides more than 450,000 members with a broad portfolio of products including HMOs, PPOs, HSAs and HRAs. It is a non-profit company governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Priority Health is rated number one by the National Business Coalition on Health and is consistently ranked among the nation's best health plans by the National Committee for Quality Assurance and U.S. News & World Report.