The following six stories about health system and retail health clinic affiliations occurred within the past year, and are just a few of the many relationships that were formalized between these two parties.
For patients, visiting retail clinics is becoming a more common alternative to seeing a primary care physician: The rate at which people visit retail clinics tripled from 2007 through 2010. Further, the number of retail clinics is expected to double from 1,400 in 2012 to more than 2,800 by 2015, according to an estimate from Accenture.
1. MinuteClinic Enters New Hampshire, Affiliates With Dartmouth-Hitchcock
CVS Caremark's MinuteClinics expanded into New Hampshire and the retail clinic chain has launched a clinical collaboration with New Lebanon-based Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Dartmouth-Hitchcock physicians will serve as medical directors for MinuteClinics throughout the state.
2. SSM Health Care, Walgreens' Healthcare Clinics Team Up
St. Louis-based SSM Health Care is collaborating with Walgreens' Healthcare Clinic for an information sharing platform and after-hours care. Under the collaboration, which takes effect in January 2014, patients who currently see an SSM primary care physician and visit a Healthcare Clinic at one of about a dozen Walgreens in the St. Louis area will be able to consent for Walgreens nurse practitioners to access their health information through a shared electronic health record with SSM.
3. Orlando Health, Walgreens Form Clinical Collaboration
Walgreens and Orlando (Fla.) Health announced a clinical collaboration to increase access to convenient healthcare services. The agreement includes 13 Healthcare Clinics, previously called Take Care Clinics, at select Walgreens.
4. WellStar, Walgreens Form Clinical Collaboration
Marietta, Ga.-based WellStar Health System formed a clinical collaboration agreement with Walgreens. Under the collaborative agreement, WellStar's urgent care centers and physician practices will work with clinics at select Walgreens to handle serious conditions outside of the clinics' scope of practice.
5. North Shore-LIJ to Collaborate With MinuteClinic
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, based in Great Neck, N.Y., entered into a clinical collaboration agreement with CVS Caremark's MinuteClinic. Under the agreement, North Shore-LIJ physicians will serve as medical directors for MinuteClinic walk-in clinics in Long Island and Staten Island.
6. Greenville Hospital System in South Carolina Forms Affiliation With MinuteClinic
Greenville (S.C.) Hospital System, the largest in the state, agreed to affiliate with CVS Caremark retail healthcare subsidiary MinuteClinic and will provide physician supervision for the clinic's nurse practitioners.
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Study: More Than $472M Potential Savings With Retail Clinic NPs
Retail Clinic Use Has Tripled Since 2007