DEERFIELD, Ill., August 28, 2013 - Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) (Nasdaq: WAG) and Orlando Health, a comprehensive not-for-profit health care organization based in Orlando, Fla., today announced a clinical collaboration that will provide coordinated and expanded health care services, while improving patient access to high-quality, convenient and affordable care throughout Central Florida. The collaboration and services offered will include:
- Greater access to care with Healthcare Clinics at select Walgreens offering evening and weekend hours, convenient locations and online appointment scheduling
- Coordination of care for Orlando Health patients with Healthcare Clinic providers for acute, chronic and preventive services
- Direct communication between Orlando Health physicians and Healthcare Clinic nurse practitioners to facilitate care coordination and sharing of patient information
- Increasing patient awareness regarding Orlando Health services, as well as information and awareness of Healthcare Clinic services, including routine screening, monitoring, immunizations, and clinic locations and hours
“In today’s health care landscape, these types of innovative coordinated care programs are vitally important to help ensure patients have access to the quality care they need,” said Jeffrey Kang, M.D., Walgreens senior vice president of health and wellness services and solutions. “With our expansive retail footprint, diverse portfolio of health care assets and proven success in collaborating with others in the medical community, Walgreens is uniquely positioned to bridge critical gaps in care and improve patient outcomes, furthering our mission to help patients get, stay and live well.”
Walgreens and Orlando Health are also exploring opportunities to share electronic medical records, with the goal of developing read-only access to real-time patient medical information. This level of coordination could also include creating online or call center appointment scheduling technology to further increase patient access to services.
“A key tenet of our mission is to improve the health of the individuals in the communities we serve, and by utilizing new approaches, such as this relationship with Walgreens, we’ll be able to better reach and treat the patients of Central Florida,” said Wayne Jenkins, M.D. MPH, president, Orlando Health Physician Partners. “This relationship represents the type of collaborative strategies that we view as essential in the emerging health care environment. We’re confident that by working together our two organizations can help ensure that patients are receiving the best care, in the best locations, as well as a truly seamless care experience.”
Orlando Health has six wholly-owned hospitals and two partnership hospitals throughout Central Florida, a skilled nursing facility, Physician Associates, one of the largest multi-specialty physician practices in central Florida, consisting of more than 90 physicians in more than 20 locations, along with more than 2,500 affiliated physicians. The clinical collaboration includes 13 Healthcare Clinic locations at select Walgreens in nearby cities including Orlando, Kissimmee, Apopka, Winter Springs, Clermont, Lake Buena Vista, Lake Mary, Winter Park and Windermere, Florida.
“Orlando Health is an established health care leader in Central Florida, and its integrated approach to improving the community’s health is a great strategic fit for Walgreens and our mission,” Kang said.
About Walgreens
As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2012 sales of $72 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to be the first choice in health and daily living for everyone in America, and beyond. Each day, Walgreens provides more than 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. The company operates 8,105 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers, medical practices, and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
About Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a $1.9 billion not-for-profit health care organization and a community-based network of physician practices, hospitals and care centers throughout Central Florida. Physician Associates, one of the largest multi-specialty practices in central Florida, consisting of more than 90 physicians in more than 20 locations, became a member of the Orlando Health family in January, 2013.
The organization, which includes the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics, is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. They are: Orlando Regional Medical Center; Dr. P. Phillips Hospital; South Seminole Hospital; Health Central Hospital, South Lake Hospital (50 percent affiliation); St. Cloud Regional Medical Center (20 percent affiliation), MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando – the first affiliate of one of the nation’s premier cancer centers, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; and the Arnold Palmer Medical Center, which consists of Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. Orlando Health’s areas of clinical excellence are heart and vascular, cancer care, neurosciences, surgery, pediatric orthopedics and sports medicine, neonatology, and women’s health.
Orlando Health is one of Central Florida’s largest employers with nearly 16,000 employees and more than 2,500 affiliated physicians supporting our philosophy of providing high quality care and service that revolves around patients’ needs. We prove this everyday with over 110,000 inpatient admissions and nearly 690,000 outpatient visits each year. In all, Orlando Health serves 1.6 million Central Florida residents and nearly 3,000 international patients annually. Additionally, Orlando Health provides approximately $239 million in support of community health needs. More information can be found at www.orlandohealth.com.
Walgreens
Jim Cohn, 847-315-2950
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Orlando Health
Kena Lewis, 321-841-8184
Kena.lewis@orlandohealth.com
http://news.orlandohealth.com
@OrlandoHealth
facebook.com/OrlandoHealth