Take Care Health Systems, one of the largest managers of convenient care clinics and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG), has opened two Take Care Clinics at Walgreens drugstores in Topeka. The clinics are walk-in, professional health care centers open seven days a week with extended evening and weekend hours. Take Care Health Systems now has 20 clinics in the region, including 13 in the Kansas City metro area and five in Wichita.
“More than 600,000 patients have experienced the great care from Take Care Health Providers since our first clinic opened in Kansas City in November 2005,” said Peter Miller, Take Care Health Systems’ President and CEO. “We are committed to bringing access to care to even more Kansas residents with our launch in Topeka, recent launch of five clinics in Wichita and upcoming expansion in the Kansas City area, one of our first and most established markets.”
Take Care Clinics in Topeka 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 school, sports and camp physicals and offer vaccinations for flu, hepatitis B, meningitis and tetanus.
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 Topeka:
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Take Care Health Systems has partnered with numerous insurers including Aetna, Coventry, Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, UnitedHealthcare and traditional Medicare and Medicaid. If insured by one of these plans, patients pay their regular co-pay or coinsurance amount. For the uninsured or cash payers, prices average $59-$74 and are listed on clinic sign-in kiosks.
“Take Care Health Systems is excited to bring our model of high-quality, affordable and convenient health care to Topeka,” said Nancy Zaner, Regional Nurse Practitioner for Take Care Health’s West/Southwest Region, including the Kansas markets. “Take Care Nurse Practitioners focus on the long term well-being of patients and aim to provide an excellent health care experience for those we treat.”
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.
Take Care Health Systems is part of Walgreens new Health and Wellness division, alongside Walgreens recently acquired I-trax/CHD Meridian Healthcare and Whole Health Management, providers of worksite health centers that operate under the name Take Care Employer Solutions. Including Take Care Clinics, the Walgreens Health and Wellness division manages more than 560 worksite health and wellness centers and retail health clinics.
Take Care Health Systems currently manages 204 clinics in 26 markets throughout 14 states, including Atlanta, Boulder-Longmont, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, Denver, Green Bay, Wis., Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Madison, Wis., Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Tenn., Orlando, Fla., Oshkosh, Wis., Peoria, Ill., Pittsburgh, Rockford, Ill., St. Louis, Tampa, Fla., Topeka, Kan., Tucson, Ariz., West Palm Beach, Fla. and Wichita, Kan.
About Take Care Health SystemsSM
Take Care Health Systems (www.takecarehealth.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens, is part of Walgreens Health and Wellness division, which includes Take Care Consumer Solutions, managers of convenient care clinics located at select Walgreens drugstores nationwide, and Take Care Employer Solutions, managers of worksite-based health and wellness services. The company combines best practices in health care and the expertise and personal care of providers to deliver access to high-quality, affordable and convenient health care to all individuals. The Take Care Consumer Solutions group currently manages 204 Take Care Clinics in 26 markets throughout 14 states. 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 Employer Solutions manages primary care, health and wellness and occupational health centers at 364 employer campuses across 183 clients in 44 states, including the District of Columbia and Guam.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2007 sales of $53.8 billion. The company operates 6,356 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, which is comprised of: Take Care Consumer Solutions, managers of 204 convenient care clinics at Walgreens drugstores, and Take Care Employer Solutions, managers of worksite-based health and wellness services at 364 employer campuses.
Contacts:
Emily Cleary, 212-446-1873
ecleary@sloanepr.com
