SPOTLIGHT

A Health Care Lesson

Osceola County’s school district signs on to RosenCare.

In 1991, Central Florida hotelier Harris Rosen converted an accounting office at the Rosen Inn International into a medical clinic where housekeepers, desk clerks and other hotel employees at his company could get immediate access to health care.

He reckoned that a well-run self-insurance program that focused on preventive services and high-quality care on site would be cheaper for his employees than traditional health insurance models — and he was right. RosenCare, as it’s now called, has grown to operate a freestanding medical center with full-time physicians and staff who provide comprehensive health care services to 5,700 employees and dependents. Employees have low out-of-pocket costs, get free transportation to the medical center and don’t have to go off the clock if they need an appointment while they’re working.

The approach has saved Rosen Hotels & Resorts nearly $400 million over nearly three decades, and for years Rosen has offered to advise other employers on how to replicate his company’s model.

He finally found a taker — the Osceola County School District has signed a three-year contract with RosenCare to operate its Center for Employee Health in Kissimmee. RosenCare — which replaces AdventHealth in the role — has partnered with Healics, a Wisconsin-based company that specializes in health and wellness, to manage the center’s daily operations. Rosen’s insurance partner, Provinsure, will handle broker services.

Rick Hensley, the school district’s director of risk and benefits, has said the plan is to establish several clinics across the district to care for its 7,200 employees.

School board Chairman Clarence Thacker is optimistic about the switch. “This is a novel approach of taking success in the private sector and modeling it to see if we can achieve the same results in the public sector,” he said in a statement on the district’s website.

REAL ESTATE

• Unicorp National Developments and Maury L. Carter & Associates are partnering to redevelop the struggling Orlando Fashion Square Mall. The project will include up to 1,600 apartments, 500,000 square feet of retail space, 200,000 square feet of office space, a hotel and a garage.
• The LPGA International Golf Club in Daytona, which is owned by Consolidated-Tomaka Land Co., is back on the market after a deal to sell the property for $3.5 million to a subsidiary of the Texas-based C-Bons International Group fell through.

AGRICULTURE

• Cherrylake Tree Farm in Groveland, one of the nation’s largest ornamental tree farms, is building a $1.8-million apartment complex to house migrant workers who come to work on the farm. Liner Source tree farm in Eustis is building similar housing for seasonal workers despite objections from neighbors.

DEFENSE

• Lockheed Martin landed a $99-million contract for the support and maintenance of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) sold to Poland, Finland and Australia.
• ARES Defense Systems, a firearms and firearms accessory manufacturer in Melbourne, is renting a 25,000-sq.-ft. building at Orlando Melbourne International Airport as the company plans to enter the aviation and aerospace industries.

EDUCATION

• A final report on the probe into the University of Central Florida’s misuse of operating funds to pay for a campus construction project found the school improperly transferred $99 million to 11 projects — including research labs, a building for international students and a new downtown campus — between 2010 and 2018. UCF officials responded to the report with assurances that they’ve made changes so that similar problems don’t recur. The scandal forced the resignation of UCF President Dale Whittaker and other university officials.

GOVERNMENT

• The city of Orlando held the first meeting of its new 17-member Committee on Multicultural Affairs. Mayor Buddy Dyer said the goal of the panel is to “embrace diversity, equality and fairness” and ensure residents and visitors feel “welcomed, included and respected” in the city.

HEALTH CARE

• Health First, Brevard County’s non-profit, community health care system, is building a clinic in Palm Bay.
• A Minnesota-based administrator of health spending and savings accounts is opening a customer service center in Orlando later this year. A company spokeswoman said the move will create 54 jobs.
• Mid Florida Cancer Centers is suing AdventHealth for creating a non-competitive environment in Volusia and Flagler counties. The lawsuit alleges that AdventHealth and Florida Cancer Specialists agreed not to compete in providing specific oncology services.

SPORTS BUSINESS

• The NFL’s Pro Bowl will return to Orlando’s Camping World Stadium for a fourth consecutive year in January. Meanwhile, with funding from Orange County’s tourist tax, Camping World Stadium is set to get a $60-million upgrade that will include more premium seating.

TECHNOLOGY

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will open a high-tech incubator in the planned Space Square aerospace hub in Daytona Beach in the now-defunct Volusia Square Shopping Center.
• Nashville-based cell phone insurer Asurion has purchased Orlando-based smart phone repair company UBreakiFix for an undisclosed amount. UBreakiFix has 539 stores across the nation.

TOURISM

• Disney’s Epcot will be getting an overhaul that will include a “Journey of Water” attraction based on the 2016 film Moana, a new Mary Poppins attraction and other upgrades. The company also unveiled plans for a Star Wars-themed hotel that will connect to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney Hollywood Studios.
• A Central Florida family donated $14 million to the Brevard Zoo for its proposed aquarium and conservation center on 14 acres at Port Canaveral.
• The Orange County Commission selected Populous + C.T. Hsu, a joint venture, to provide the architectural and engineering design services for a $605-million expansion of the Orange County Convention Center.

 

Read more in Florida Trend's November issue.

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