Walgreens' VillageMD is laying off some of its employees as it looks to exit the Illinois market, a spokesperson for the company confirmed to Becker's.
"After careful consideration and analysis, we have made the decision to exit the Chicago market," the spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement. "We are committed to helping our teams during this transition and we are working diligently to care for our patients during this transition. This includes offering care to them during this transition and the resources they need to access care and their medical records."
The spokesperson did not detail how many employees would be affected.
VillageMD — majority owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance — has six clinics in Illinois, which are slated to close by April 19.
The closures in Illinois come after Walgreens' withdrawal from markets in Indiana and Florida earlier this year. These exits are a part of Walgreens' cost-cutting initiative, aiming to reduce expenses by at least $1 billion. As outlined in the company's October statement, this involves discontinuing VillageMD operations in five markets and shutting down approximately 60 clinics during fiscal year 2024.
Per its website, VillageMD runs 680 clinics spread across 26 markets, with a significant number situated adjacent to Walgreens outlets. In January 2023, the company made an $8.9 billion acquisition of the Summit Health-CityMD physician practice group.