04.10.07
Clinics Offer Sports Physicals and Treatment for Spring and Summer Conditions like Allergies and Poison Ivy
MILWAUKEE, WI (April 10, 2007) Milwaukee residents now have easy access to a new high-quality, affordable health care service, Take Care Health Systems announced today. The company has opened four Health Corner Clinics inside local Walgreens drugstores, and two additional clinics are expected to open later this month.
Staffed by highly-qualified nurse practitioners, the clinics are open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. No appointments are necessary.
"We are excited to bring Milwaukee residents convenient access to high-quality, affordable health care inside their local Walgreens drugstore," said Peter Miller, President and CEO, Take Care Health Systems. "After treating nearly 120,000 patients nationwide, consumers have shown overwhelming support for our patient-first model of care and we look forward to sharing the Take Care Health experience with the Milwaukee community."
Health Corner Clinics are professional health care centers with two patient examination rooms, fully equipped with sinks, exam tables and medical equipment. Clinics are staffed by family nurse practitioners who treat patients 18 months and older for common illnesses such as strep throat, ear, sinus and bladder infections, pink eye and poison ivy, and are licensed to write prescriptions for the ailments they treat. Take Care Nurse Practitioners also provide diagnostic testing alongside clinic services and administer certain vaccinations and physicals.
Clinics are poised for the allergy, spring and summer seasons
"The Health Corner Clinic grand openings offer Milwaukee residents relief from the current allergy season and the onset of spring and summer conditions," said Emily Ladich, Lead Take Care Nurse Practitioner in Milwaukee. "Take Care Nurse Practitioners treat seasonal allergies and the potential complications that can result from them, cuts and minor injuries, poison ivy, skin rashes, and offer tetanus shots along with camp and sport physicals for the season."
Health Corner Clinics are now open in the following Milwaukee Walgreens drugstores:
Take Care Health accepts most commercial insurance plans as well as Medicare currently 53 percent of insured patients in Milwaukee can visit a clinic and pay just their standard co-payment or co-insurance. Additional insurance plans are expected to be added over the coming months. For uninsured and cash payers, costs average $59 to $74.
Insurance plans covering a visit to an area Health Corner Clinic include:
Take Care Health is committed to building relationships with the greater health care community toward a shared goal of providing accessible, patient-focused quality health care in the Milwaukee area. Take Care Nurse Practitioners encourage all patients to have a "medical home," a medical provider that they see routinely for on-going medical needs and routine exams. If a patient's condition falls outside of the clinic's scope of practice, the patient is referred back to their primary care provider for follow-on care. If a patient does not have such a provider, nurse practitioners will offer a list of providers in the area accepting new patients.
Take Care Nurse Practitioners collaborate with local physicians who are available for consultation at all times the practitioner is treating a patient. Collaborating physicians also review 10 percent of patient records and accept patient referrals within 24 – 48 hours as indicated by the patient's condition.
Take Care Health uses nationally recognized clinical guidelines for treatment and electronic medical record technology that allows patients to take their visit record to their provider, ensuring continuity of care. Take Care Health follows quality and safety standards as outlined by the Convenient Care Association, the industry's trade association.
To date, Take Care Health operates 49 clinics located in Chicago, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Take Care Health plans to have 200 centers open in 2007 and 1,000 centers across the U.S. over the next few years.
About Take Care Health SystemsSM
Take Care Health Systems (www.takecarehealth.com)is a leading independent operator of convenient care clinics, in-store walk-in health care centers. Take Care Health combines best practices in medicine and the expertise and personal care of Take Care Nurse Practitioners to provide high-quality, accessible and affordable health care to Americans. Take Care Health, with 49 health care centers, has a 98 percent patient satisfaction rating and has treated nearly 120,000 patients since November 2005. Take Care Health uses nationally recognized clinical guidelines, industry standards set forth by the Convenient Care Association (www.convenientcareassociation.org) and an electronic medical record system to ensure the highest quality care. The Company maintains a robust quality assurance program, including collaborating physician record review, peer review and compliance auditing.
About Walgreens
Walgreen Co. is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2006 sales of $47.4 billion. The company operates 5,675 stores in 48 states and Puerto Rico, including 77 Happy Harry's stores in Delaware and surrounding states. Walgreens also provides additional services to pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Services, its managed care division, which includes Walgreens Health Initiatives, Inc. (a pharmacy benefits manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., and Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy.
Key Contacts:
Tracey Belko
for Take Care Health Systems
212-446-1899