Four Phoenix Walgreens Open Convenient Care Clinics
Walgreens' wholly owned subsidiary Take Care Health Systems yesterday opened convenient care clinics at four Walgreens drug stores in the Phoenix area, bringing its total number of units in Arizona to eight.
The clinics are walk-in, professional health care centers that are open seven days a week, with extended evening and weekend hours. Additional expansion is planned for the Phoenix area this year.
"By opening clinics in a major Arizona market such as Phoenix, Take Care Health Systems is reinforcing its commitment to provide high-quality, affordable, and convenient health care to all individuals," said Peter Miller, Take Care Health president and c.e.o. "We have treated nearly 600,000 patients nationwide since November 2005, and we believe that Valley residents will also find value in our patient-first model of care."
Take Care Clinics in the Phoenix market are staffed by board-certified family nurse practitioners who treat patients 18 months and older for common illnesses such as strep throat, ear and sinus infections, pink eye, and poison ivy, and are licensed to write prescriptions that can be filled at the patient’s pharmacy of choice. The nurse practitioners also provide school, sports, and camp physicals, and offer vaccinations for flu, hepatitis B, meningitis, and tetanus.
The clinics are equipped with two patient examination rooms, exam tables, sinks, patient registration kiosks, and electronic medical record technology for visit documentation.
Take Care Health Systems has partnered with numerous insurers, including Aetna, ChoiceCare, CIGNA, Coventry, GreatWest, Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, UnitedHealthcare, and traditional Medicare. Patients insured by one of these plans pay their regular co-pay or co-insurance amount. For the uninsured or cash payers, prices average $59 to $74 and are listed on clinic sign-in kiosks.
In other news, Walgreens has teamed up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's (NOAA) National Weather Service to alert customers and passersby of impending severe weather via digital outdoor signs.
Under the agreement Walgreens is able to access data about approaching storms, then post updates to any of its 3,300 electronic outdoor signs in affected areas. The drug chain will link to NOAA’s data feed every five minutes to provide timely details as severe weather draws near a specific location. More than half of the company’s 6,443 stores nationwide feature these outdoor signs.
"Our highly visible corner locations give us an opportunity to provide this service to communities," said Walgreen director of community affairs John Gremer. "Severe weather warnings are potential lifesavers, and what better place to make this information available than a source that captures the attention of millions of people every day?"
Take Care Health Systems is part of Walgreens' Health and Wellness division, which includes Take Care Consumer Solutions, managers of convenient care clinics at select Walgreens drugstores nationwide, and Take Care Employer Solutions, managers of worksite-based health-and-wellness services. Including Take Care Clinics, the Walgreens Health and Wellness division manages more than 560 worksite health-and-wellness centers and retail health clinics.
Take Care Health Systems currently manages 223 clinics across 15 states, including locations in Atlanta; Boulder-Longmont, Colo.; Chicago; Cincinnati, Cleveland; Columbus, Ohio; Denver; Green Bay, Wis.; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Louisville; Madison, Wis.; Miami; Milwaukee; Nashville, Tenn.; Orlando, Fla.; Oshkosh, Wis.; Peoria, Ill.; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Rockford, Ill.; St. Louis; Tampa, Fla.; Topeka, Kan.; Tucson, Ariz.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Wichita, Kan.
Walgreens operates 6,443 drugstores in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
The clinics are walk-in, professional health care centers that are open seven days a week, with extended evening and weekend hours. Additional expansion is planned for the Phoenix area this year.
"By opening clinics in a major Arizona market such as Phoenix, Take Care Health Systems is reinforcing its commitment to provide high-quality, affordable, and convenient health care to all individuals," said Peter Miller, Take Care Health president and c.e.o. "We have treated nearly 600,000 patients nationwide since November 2005, and we believe that Valley residents will also find value in our patient-first model of care."
Take Care Clinics in the Phoenix market are staffed by board-certified family nurse practitioners who treat patients 18 months and older for common illnesses such as strep throat, ear and sinus infections, pink eye, and poison ivy, and are licensed to write prescriptions that can be filled at the patient’s pharmacy of choice. The nurse practitioners also provide school, sports, and camp physicals, and offer vaccinations for flu, hepatitis B, meningitis, and tetanus.
The clinics are equipped with two patient examination rooms, exam tables, sinks, patient registration kiosks, and electronic medical record technology for visit documentation.
Take Care Health Systems has partnered with numerous insurers, including Aetna, ChoiceCare, CIGNA, Coventry, GreatWest, Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, UnitedHealthcare, and traditional Medicare. Patients insured by one of these plans pay their regular co-pay or co-insurance amount. For the uninsured or cash payers, prices average $59 to $74 and are listed on clinic sign-in kiosks.
In other news, Walgreens has teamed up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's (NOAA) National Weather Service to alert customers and passersby of impending severe weather via digital outdoor signs.
Under the agreement Walgreens is able to access data about approaching storms, then post updates to any of its 3,300 electronic outdoor signs in affected areas. The drug chain will link to NOAA’s data feed every five minutes to provide timely details as severe weather draws near a specific location. More than half of the company’s 6,443 stores nationwide feature these outdoor signs.
"Our highly visible corner locations give us an opportunity to provide this service to communities," said Walgreen director of community affairs John Gremer. "Severe weather warnings are potential lifesavers, and what better place to make this information available than a source that captures the attention of millions of people every day?"
Take Care Health Systems is part of Walgreens' Health and Wellness division, which includes Take Care Consumer Solutions, managers of convenient care clinics at select Walgreens drugstores nationwide, and Take Care Employer Solutions, managers of worksite-based health-and-wellness services. Including Take Care Clinics, the Walgreens Health and Wellness division manages more than 560 worksite health-and-wellness centers and retail health clinics.
Take Care Health Systems currently manages 223 clinics across 15 states, including locations in Atlanta; Boulder-Longmont, Colo.; Chicago; Cincinnati, Cleveland; Columbus, Ohio; Denver; Green Bay, Wis.; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Louisville; Madison, Wis.; Miami; Milwaukee; Nashville, Tenn.; Orlando, Fla.; Oshkosh, Wis.; Peoria, Ill.; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Rockford, Ill.; St. Louis; Tampa, Fla.; Topeka, Kan.; Tucson, Ariz.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Wichita, Kan.
Walgreens operates 6,443 drugstores in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.