Walgreens Health Corners: Where it feels like family
Meet George Deem, Jr., a New Jersey veteran and Clover Medicare Advantage member, who found comfort and care at his neighborhood Walgreens.
Elyse Russo, Walgreens Stories
Veteran George Deem, Jr., says his local Walgreens Health Corner has been a blessing. He can now get his prescriptions and preventative health and wellness services all at one location that's close to his home. But the best part? The relationships he has with the staff.
"I thank God every day, and I feel they're my family now," Deem says with his voice full of emotion. "I mean, really, you can't ask for anything better than that."
Walgreens has nearly 100 Health Corners nationwide, where everyone is welcome to get help with common health concerns. Thanks to Walgreens partnerships with several health insurance companies, Health Corner locations also offer select patients a convenient place to address specific healthcare needs, receive select health screenings, navigate benefits, find care providers, schedule appointments and more. In New Jersey, for example, eligible members of Clover Health's Medicare Advantage plans like Deem can receive these services at 36 Walgreens Health Corners throughout the state, more than 80% of which are in medically underserved communities.
"I recommend it to every senior I see: Walgreens Health Corners and Clover," Deem says.
Walgreens Health Advisors Wendi Brown and Bill Olivo have gotten to know Deem very well, and both have helped him navigate his healthcare journey.
"A lot of people, especially seniors, don't ask their doctor questions," Brown says. "They go in there, they maybe forget what they wanted to ask them, they get nervous or intimidated by the doctor."
Olivo agrees: "Many times they'll come to us and say, 'Hey, could you further explain this to me?' or 'I had this test done and I'm getting overwhelmed.' And that's one of the things we can provide here, it's that comfortable feeling."
It's that comfort and convenience of getting support from your neighborhood pharmacy that can really make a difference in a patient's health.
"They start to become empowered to take care of themselves a little bit more because now I'm their partner. I'm their accountability partner," Brown says.
Learn more about Deem's story in our latest episode of "Connected to Care," a video series by Walgreens that showcases our portfolio of healthcare organizations:
