OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A health care clinic that serves all Kissimmee city workers is in full swing these days, more than a year after it opened.
And it's free of charge to any worker who needs a routine checkup or a prescription for an illness.
As Channel 9's Ryan Hughes learned, although it costs nearly $800,000 to run, it saves taxpayers in the long run.
William Spinola admitted he rarely went to the doctor's office over the years, potentially putting his health at risk.
That all changed when his employer, the city of Kissimmee, opened a clinic that serves all city workers.
"I can honestly say my health is better today because of the clinic," Spinola said.
The clinic doesn't charge a dime.
"Basically, we do medication refills, sick visits, we do a lot of preventative medicine," said Laci Marsh, director of clinical operations.
Spinola said he's thankful that the opportunity has come along.
Since the clinic opened last year, it has served around 75 percent of Kissimmee workers and Toho Water Authority employees.
That's roughly 900 people.
The health center is located in a nondescript building owned by the city.
Kissimmee started the clinic to help lower health care costs that have skyrocketed over the years.
The city plans to spend $8 million in the coming year on its self-contained insurance program.
The cost to run the clinic from June 2013 to the fall of 2014 was $790,000.
"Obviously, the first thing they think of is the cost because it's a cost savings, but secondly, we have a very minimal wait time," Marsh said.
And those things cause people like Spinola to come back time and time again.
It doesn't cost employees to use the clinic, but they must pay out of pocket to insure dependents.