Village Medical at Walgreens Locations to Expand in Texas
As part of their strategic partnership, Walgreens Boots Alliance and value-based primary care provider VillageMD have released plans to open more than 20 new Village Medical at Walgreens primary care practices in the Dallas area over the next year. The first Village Medical at Walgreens location in Dallas opened on Oct. 26 at 5001 Ross Avenue, with several more openings to follow in November and December. These openings expand the concept to its fourth major market in Texas, following Houston, El Paso and Austin.
Walgreens is the first national pharmacy chain to offer full-service primary care clinics co-located at its stores at a large scale. The pharmacy chain and VillageMD are on track to open 1,000 primary care practices by 2027. More than 80 Village Medical at Walgreens practices will be opened by the end of 2021. With more than 50% of the practices in medically underserved areas, Village Medical at Walgreens locations will help meet the needs of all people, including those who may not have access to health care and are at greater risk of health disparities.
In the Lone Star State, chronic disease accounts for 75% of health care expenditures, yet many areas lack access to primary care, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. In fact, Texas ranks 47th in the nation in the number of primary care providers accessible to residents, as indicated by United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings.
Through the Walgreens and VillageMD coordinated-care model, patients receive comprehensive primary care from physicians alongside pharmacy services. Village Medical primary care physicians and Walgreens pharmacists work together to provide care for chronic conditions, as well as everyday illnesses and injuries.
“Dallas residents, and particularly patients who need ongoing care for chronic conditions, will benefit from our coordinated-care team model and extended service hours through both in-person and virtual visits,” said Joseph Ventimiglia, M.D., Ph.D., a local Village Medical physician. “By teaming up with Walgreens pharmacists, we’re able to better serve patients and streamline their health care experience. This is the first time outside of a university medical center that I have been able to work collaboratively with a pharmacist.”
“With our integrated-care team, Walgreens pharmacists are able to offer more coordinated patient care,” added Rick Fernandez, registered pharmacist and regional health care director for greater Texas at Walgreens. “Our pharmacists can often have prescriptions ready after doctors’ appointments and ensure individuals have convenient access to medication refills and affordable substitution options.”
These Village Medical at Walgreens locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex will create more than 748 jobs within the community. Village Medical will employ nearly 340 well-compensated STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professionals.
Village Medical at Walgreens locations accept a wide range of health insurance options, including Medicare. Patients in Texas can book appointments online.
A few weeks ago, Walgreens revealed expansion plans for its integrated-care model in the Florida market. Twenty new Village Medical at Walgreens primary care practices in the Tampa area are planned over the next year. These openings take the concept into its second major market in Florida, following Orlando, which will have 10 locations by the end of 2021.
Chicago-based VillageMD and its Village Medical subsidiary have grown to 15 markets and are responsible for more than 1.6 million patients. VillageMD is also the largest participating sponsor of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid’s new Direct Contracting program, and estimates that it serves more than 56,000 patients.
Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA division of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. The drug store chain operates more than 9,000 retail locations across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, serving about 8 million customers daily. Walgreens is No. 5 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
