May 18, 2012

Walgreen Broadens Its Health-Care Reach

January 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Walgreen Co. plans to announce on Wednesday a network of pharmacies, in-store clinics and company health centers it will market to corporate and government employers nationwide.

Under the drugstore chain’s “Complete Care and Well-Being” program, participating employees at work would be able to get checkups, preventive care and other services, such as dentistry and optometry. Walgreen’s Take Care health clinics would be available for basic services outside of business hours, and the chain would offer discounted prescriptions at Walgreen pharmacies. Retirees and employees’ family members also would be eligible for the services. In addition, the customers would receive a 15% discount on Walgreen’s private-label products such as toothpaste and diapers.

Many providers in the fragmented health-care landscape offer some portion of the program Walgreen plans to market. CVS Caremark Corp., for example, runs a chain of drugstores, has clinics inside some CVS locations and a few company offices, and owns a pharmacy-benefits manager, which administers prescription-drug plans for employers and insurers.

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Take Care Clinics Now Offering School and Sports Physicals at Locations Nationwide

August 12, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens and one of the largest managers of convenient care clinics, is now offering school and sports physicals for $25 at Take Care Clinics nationwide. Take Care Clinics, located at select Walgreens drugstores, provide high-quality, convenient and affordable health care to all patients 18 months and older.

“School and sports physicals for school-aged children and adolescents are a great service that our clinics can offer the communities we serve. These physicals are an opportunity to screen for undetected medical conditions as well as a means to ensure the overall health and wellness of children,” said Sandra Festa Ryan, Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer for Take Care Health Systems. “Going back to school is a busy time for parents, and we’re committed to providing accessible and affordable care to those who need a school or sports physical in a convenient setting.”

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Rosenbluth Named SVP At Walgreens

July 12, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Walgreens has named Hal F. Rosenbluth, the president of Walgreens Health and Wellness division, as a corporate senior vice president.

Rosenbluth is the co-founder and chairman of Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary acquired by Walgreens in 2007. Take Care Health Systems manages 183 convenient care clinics located at Walgreens drugstores and plans to have about 400 clinics in operation by the end of 2008.

Walgreens Health and Wellness division was formed in March as part of Walgreens acquisitions of two operators of worksite health centers, I-trax, Inc. of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, parent company of CHD Meridian Healthcare, and privately held Whole Health Management of Cleveland. With these acquisitions, Walgreens has more than 500 worksite and retail health centers, including its Take Care Health Clinics.

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Take Care Health Systems Opens First Clinic in Rockford

May 27, 2008 By Leave a Comment

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 its first Take Care Health Clinic at a Walgreens drugstore in the Rockford area. The clinic is a walk-in, professional health care center open seven days a week with extended evening and weekend hours. Three additional clinics are expected to open in Rockford this year. Take Care Health Systems now has 29 clinics in the state, including 28 in the Chicago area.

“Take Care Nurse Practitioners have treated more than 500,000 patients nationwide since our first clinic opened in November 2005, with consistently high patient satisfaction rates,” said Peter Miller, Take Care Health Systems’ President and CEO. “We are excited to bring our model of high-quality, affordable and convenient health care to Rockford for the first time.”

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Retail clinics on the rise here despite some closings

April 14, 2008 By 3 Comments

Despite the at least temporary closings recently of three Medical Marts here, no indication is seen of a change in the trend toward more retail clinics in drug stores and other types of retailers.

The Medical Marts, which were housed in Meijer stores in Aurora, Algonquin and St. Charles, were different than their competitors in that financing came from private sources and staff at the sites included physicians.

Two of the leading providers of retail clinics, Walgreens and CVS stores, differ in that these locations are financed by large corporations and are directed by nurse practitioners.

Not only are their numbers continuing to grow, albeit probably at a slower pace, but additional types of business arrangements are being pursued with hospitals and large employers.

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Walgreen to acquire I-trax, Whole Health Management of Cleveland

March 17, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Walgreen Co. (NYSE:WAG) said Monday it created a new health and wellness division and as part of the division’s strategy, the company plans to acquire I-trax (AMEX:DMX) Inc. and privately held Whole Health Management of Cleveland.

The company intends to acquire I-trax for about $278 million in cash and the assumption of roughly $18.3 million in net debt.

An affiliate of Walgreens will begin a tender offer within 10 business days for all outstanding common stock of I-trax at $5.40 a share. Shares of I-trax closed Friday at $3.90.

The terms of the Whole Health Management transaction weren’t disclosed.

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The MinuteClinic Disruption: Classic story in the 21st century

February 12, 2008 By Leave a Comment

The Boston Herald ran a story over the weekend about Rhode Island-based CVS’s plans to locate low-cost health care clinics in retail stores in Boston. I’m sure CVS knew they were in for a fight considering the lengths many Rhode Island primary-care physicians have taken to block their efforts to do the same here in our state.From the article Competition won’t ail you:

“Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is concerned about CVS’s plans to locate low-cost health care clinics in retail stores in his city. Limited service medical clinics run by merchants in for-profit corporations will seriously compromise quality of care and hygiene, he has said.”

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