Walgreens Take Care Health Systems Forms Collaborative Relationship with LSU Health Sciences Center and LSU Healthcare Network to Enhance Coordination of Care in the Greater New Orleans Community

NEW ORLEANS, July 19, 2011 - Take Care Health Systems (TCHS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG), and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) and LSU Healthcare Network (LSUHN), located in New Orleans, today announced a new relationship which will increase opportunities for clinical coordination and improve patient access to the high-quality, convenient and affordable health care options available at Take Care Clinics in the greater New Orleans region.

TCHS is the nation's largest and most comprehensive manager of convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers, including the Take Care Clinics. Take Care Clinics are professional walk-in health care centers located at more than 350 Walgreens drugstores across the country, including four locations in the greater New Orleans community.

Take Care 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.

Components of the relationship between LSUHSC, LSUHN and TCHS will include:

• Development of an interface between each organization’s electronic health record system to enable effective scheduling and information sharing between organizations.
• Opportunities for students in the LSUHSC Nurse Practitioner Training Program to precept at Take Care Clinics in the New Orleans area.
• Take Care Clinic participation in LSUHN’s development of a regional medical plan for certain non-insured working persons.
• Establishment of a new Take Care Clinic in close proximity to the LSU Health Sciences Center.
• Participation of LSUHSC and LSUHN physicians as collaborating physicians for Take Care Clinics in the region.

In addition, LSUHN health professionals 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 LSUHN affiliated practices will have access to information on Take Care Clinic locations, evening and weekend hours and services available to patients and their families.

“Every day we see evidence that greater continuity of care between providers and more access points to health care services can directly drive better patient outcomes at lower costs,” said Dr. Larry Hollier, chancellor of LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans. “Our relationship with Walgreens and Take Care Systems will help ensure that our patients are receiving high-quality coordinated care, while also allowing us to make our network even more accessible to a larger number of individuals. Payers, providers and most importantly patients have been telling us that increased coordination is what is needed in the current health care environment, and we are excited about the potential benefits this partnership can achieve.”

“At Walgreens and Take Care Health Systems, we are committed to working with leading health systems like LSUHN to provide patients with increased access and a more seamless health care experience,” said Heather Helle, divisional vice president for Walgreens Consumer Solutions Group. “This collaboration will help ensure that we are utilizing the full capabilities of both organizations to benefit the patients and providers of the New Orleans community – which is our ultimate goal.”

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 Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion. The company operates 7,733 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 and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.

About LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans

LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans educates Louisiana’s health care professionals. The state’s academic health leader, LSUHSC consists of a School of Medicine, the state’s only School of Dentistry, Louisiana’s only public School of Public Health, the only School of Nursing within an academic health center in Louisiana, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, and Graduate Studies. LSUHSC faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research in a number of areas in a worldwide arena, the LSUHSC research enterprise generates jobs and enormous economic impact. LSUHSC faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment, or cure disease. To learn more, visit http://www.lsuhsc.edu and http://www.twitter.com/LSUHSCHealth.

About the LSU Healthcare Network

The LSU Healthcare Network is a private, not-for-profit organization of faculty medical group practices comprised of LSU School of Medicine physicians since 1997. With over 100 specialties serving patients in the Greater Metropolitan area, LSUHN operates and staffs outpatient facilities, provides patient and financial accounting services, negotiates and executes managed health care agreements and provides the necessary medical management and information systems to support the faculty's medical practices.