TAKE CARE HEALTH SYSTEMS OPENS HEALTH CARE CLINICS IN NEW ORLEANS

12.15.08

—Three Take Care Clinics now open at Walgreens in New Orleans offering residents increased access to high-quality, affordable health care—

NEW ORLEANS, LA — DECEMBER 15, 2008 — Take Care Health Systems, the largest provider of convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers in the country and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG), has launched three Take Care Clinics at Walgreens drugstores in the New Orleans area. The clinics are walk-in, professional health care centers open seven days a week with extended evening and weekend hours.

These are the first Take Care Clinics in the state of Louisiana. Additional Take Care Clinics are expected to open in New Orleans in early 2009. Last year Walgreens celebrated the opening of its 6,000th store nationwide in New Orleans and has historically maintained a strong presence in the city.

“We are excited to bring high-quality, affordable care to the citizens of New Orleans,” said Peter Miller, Take Care Health Systems’ President and CEO. “We have watched this city overcome incredible obstacles in the past few years and we feel that its residents will greatly benefit from the increased access to health care offered by Take Care Clinics. Nearly one million patients have been treated at Take Care Clinics nationwide and we are proud to expand into New Orleans as part of our continued growth.”

Take Care Clinics in the New Orleans area are staffed by board-certified family nurse practitioners who treat patients 18 months and older for common illnesses such as strep throat, ear and sinus infections, pink eye and poison ivy, and are licensed to write prescriptions that can be filled at the patient’s pharmacy of choice. Take Care Nurse Practitioners also provide diagnostic screenings; school, sports and camp physicals; men’s and women’s health evaluations and offer vaccinations for chickenpox, flu, hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), meningitis, pneumonia, tetanus and human papillomavirus (HPV).

Clinics have two patient examination rooms, exam tables, sinks, innovative patient registration kiosks and electronic medical record technology for visit documentation. Clinics are open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., and are located at the following Walgreens drugstores in the New Orleans area:

• Kenner - 821 W. Esplande
• Mandeville - 2880 Hwy. 190
• Slidell - 1260 Front St.

Take Care Health Systems has partnered with numerous insurers including Aetna, ChoiceCare, CIGNA, Coventry, GreatWest, Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, UnitedHealthcare and traditional Medicare. If insured by one of these plans, patients pay their co-pay or coinsurance amount. Take Care Health is working with BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana and hopes to become a participating provider soon. For the uninsured or cash payers, prices average $59-$74 and are listed on clinic sign-in kiosks.

“Take Care Nurse Practitioners provide an excellent health care experience built around the needs of patients and their families,” said Judy Crabtree, Lead Nurse Practitioner for New Orleans. “We are thrilled to provide a convenient and affordable health care option to the people of New Orleans, including those residents who are uninsured or may currently be without a primary care provider.”

Take Care Nurse Practitioners encourage all patients to have a health care home, a provider they see routinely for on-going medical needs and routine exams. If a patient’s condition falls outside of the scope of service at the clinic, the patient is referred back to his/her primary care provider for follow-on care. If a patient does not have a primary care 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 nurse practitioner is treating a patient. Collaborating physicians and other local providers work with Take Care Nurse Practitioners to accept patient referrals.

Take Care Health Systems uses nationally recognized, evidence-based clinical guidelines for treatment and electronic medical record technology allowing patients to take visit records to other providers, promoting continuity of care. Take Care Nurse Practitioners follow quality and safety standards as outlined by the Convenient Care Association, the industry’s trade association headquartered in Philadelphia.

Take Care Health Systems currently manages 312 Take Care Clinics in 35 markets, 18 states, including locations in: Atlanta, Boulder-Longmont, Colo., Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Green Bay, Wis., Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Fla., Kansas City, Mo., Knoxville, Tenn., Las Vegas, Louisville, Ky., Madison, Wis., Memphis, Tenn., Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans, Orlando, Fla., Oshkosh, Wis., Peoria, Ill., Philadelphia-area, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Pa., Rockford, Ill., St. Louis, Tampa, Fla., Topeka, Kan., Tucson, Ariz., West Palm Beach, Fla. and Wichita, Kan.

About Take Care Health Systems^SM
Take Care Health Systems^SM (www.takecarehealthsystem.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Walgreens and part of Walgreens Health and Wellness division, is the largest and most comprehensive provider of worksite health and wellness centers and convenient care clinics in the country. TCHS is comprised of Take Care Consumer Solutions (www.takecarehealth.com) and Take Care Health Employer Solutions (www.takecareemployersolutions.com). Take Care Consumer Solutions manages Take Care Clinics at select Walgreens drugstores throughout the country. Patient care at each of the Take Care Clinics is provided by Take Care Health Services, an independently owned state professional corporation established in each market. Take Care Health Employer Solutions manages primary care, health and wellness, occupational health, pharmacy and fitness centers at large employer campuses. Combined, Take Care Health Systems operates more than 660 worksite and retail health care centers.

About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2008 sales of $59 billion. The company operates 6,630 drugstores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides the most convenient access to consumer goods and cost-effective health care services in America through its retail drugstores, Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and Wellness division. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC and SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities). Walgreens Health and Wellness division includes Take Care Health Systems, the largest and most comprehensive provider of worksite health and wellness centers and convenient care clinics, with more than 660 locations throughout the country.

Key Contacts:

Lauren Nestler
for Take Care Health Systems
484-351-3212