JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – June 7, 2011 – Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG), and Memorial Health, located in Jacksonville and part of the Hospital Corporation of America, today announced a new relationship which will increase opportunities for clinical collaboration and improve patient access to high-quality, convenient and affordable health care options in the greater Jacksonville region.
Take Care Clinics are professional walk-in health care centers located at more than 350 Walgreens drugstores across the country, including six locations in the greater Jacksonville community. Clinics are open seven days a week, including evenings and weekends, giving patients the option to access a variety of health care services at their convenience. No appointment is necessary.
Through this enhanced relationship, Memorial Health affiliated physician practices will share information on Take Care Clinics and other health care options when their locations are closed or they are unable to schedule an appointment within a patient’s desired timeframe. Professionals at Memorial Health affiliated practices will have access to information on Take Care Clinic locations, evening and weekend hours and services available to patients and their families.
“The team at Memorial Health is committed to providing the Jacksonville community with health care services when and where they are needed,” said Wayne O. Winney, divisional vice president with HCA physician services. “By partnering with Walgreens and Take Care Health we’re facilitating patient access to a high-quality health care provider while ensuring continuity of care with the Memorial Health team. We believe that sharing information on Take Care Clinics can play a role in limiting unnecessary emergency room visits and improving the care experience for Memorial Health patients.”
Providers at Take Care Clinics will have information available to educate patients on Memorial Health services and will continue to provide information on a variety of local health care resources as appropriate. If a patient at a Take Care Clinic requires care that falls outside of the setting’s scope of service, dedicated systems between Take Care Health and Memorial are in place to allow for rapid sharing of visit records with patient permission. Take Care Clinic professionals provide all patients with a copy of their visit record and will share records with other health care providers upon request.
“Walgreens and Take Care Health are dedicated to enabling access to health care services when and where it is convenient for patients and joining forces with an industry leader like Memorial Health furthers our ability to accomplish this mission,” said Heather Helle, divisional vice president for Walgreens Consumer Solutions Group. “The relationship with Memorial Health encourages continuity and accessibility, a combination which has the potential to reduce costs and improve outcomes for patients, payers and care providers.”
Patients today are increasingly looking for affordable, accessible health care options. According to research published in the September 2010 issue of Health Affairs, between 13.7 and 27.1 percent of emergency department visits could take place at retail clinics or urgent care centers, with a potential cost savings of $4.4 billion annually. According to this research, retail clinics, such as Take Care Clinics at select Walgreens, have been shown to save patients $279 to $460 per visit compared to emergency department costs.
About Memorial Health
Memorial Health includes: Memorial Hospital, Orange Park Medical Center, Specialty Hospital, CyberKnife Cancer Center, Jacksonville Surgery Center, Plaza Imaging Center, Mandarin Imaging Center, Deerwood Imaging Center and Fleming Island Imaging Center. Memorial Health is a part of the Hospital Corporation of America. HCA is the nation’s largest leading provider of healthcare services. It operates 163 hospitals and 105 free standing surgery centers in 20 states and England. HCA and its affiliates employ approximately 183,000 people.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion. The company operates 7,714 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
Walgreens Take Care Health Systems and Memorial Health Form Collaborative Relationship to Enhance Access to Health Care in the Greater Jacksonville Community
Take Care Clinics offer additional care options and hours for Memorial Patients
Relationship expands Memorial Health’s presence in the greater Jacksonville community and improves continuity of care between health care professionals