New Clinical Affiliation Between MinuteClinic and OhioHealth Enhances Convenient Care in Central Ohio

WOONSOCKET, R.I. and COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MinuteClinic, the retail health care division of CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS), and OhioHealth, a nationally recognized not-for-profit, charitable health care organization based in Columbus, Ohio, have entered into a clinical affiliation that will enhance the high quality, affordable health care services they provide in central Ohio.

MinuteClinic has seven walk-in medical clinics open seven days a week inside select CVS/pharmacy stores throughout the region.  The clinics are staffed by nurse practitioners, employed by MinuteClinic, who provide treatment for common family illnesses and administer wellness and prevention services and health condition monitoring.

"Through its many hospitals and neighborhood health centers, OhioHealth has a strong primary care presence in the Columbus area and an outstanding record for clinical quality," said Andrew Sussman, MD, President, MinuteClinic and Senior Vice President/ Associate Chief Medical Officer, CVS Caremark.  "As we have experienced elsewhere in Ohio and in other communities in the U.S., strategic clinical affiliations between MinuteClinic and major health systems such as OhioHealth enhance our ability to extend high quality medical services to patients in convenient retail locations near where they live and work."

"We view this as an extension of the continuum of care we offer in our hospitals, urgent care centers, primary care offices, emergency departments and more than 20 community-based outpatient centers," said Bob Gilbert, senior operations officer, OhioHealth Neighborhood Care. "This affiliation enables OhioHealth to increase the community's access to our high-quality care and trusted team of medical professionals – providing another way to connect patients to our services."

Under the agreement, physicians affiliated with OhioHealth will serve as medical directors for MinuteClinic locations in central Ohio. In addition, MinuteClinic and OhioHealth will collaborate on patient education and disease management initiatives and will inform patients of the services provided by each organization. OhioHealth will accept patients who need a level of care that is not provided at MinuteClinic.

MinuteClinic and OhioHealth will also begin work integrating their electronic medical record systems to streamline communication around all aspects of each individual's care.  

With patient consent, MinuteClinic will share medical history and visit summaries with other OhioHealth and MinuteClinic locations in the region.  In the meantime, MinuteClinic will continue its standard practice of sending visit summaries via fax or mail to the patient's primary care physician, typically within 24 hours. This reporting is not always possible however, as not all MinuteClinic patients have a primary care physician.

"More than 50 percent of patients seen at MinuteClinic locations in Columbus do not have an established primary care relationship," said Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer, OhioHealth. "Together, OhioHealth and CVS MinuteClinic are committed to helping these patients re-engage with traditional primary care physicians."

Care at MinuteClinic is provided by nurse practitioners who specialize in family health care and are trained to diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common family illnesses such as:

• Strep throat
• Ear, eye, sinus, bladder and bronchial infections
• Minor wounds, abrasions and joint sprains
• Common vaccinations for influenza, tetanus, pneumonia, and Hepatitis A & B are available at most locations
• Walk-in camp, sports and college physicals for adolescents

MinuteClinic also administers a series of wellness services designed to help patients identify lifestyle changes needed to improve their current and future health, including screenings and monitoring for diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.

MinuteClinic locations in central Ohio include:

• Columbus (43201)
• Gahanna (43230)
• Grove City (43123)
• Hilliard (43026)
• Pickerington (43147)
• Upper Arlington (43220)
• Worthington (43085)

No appointments are required at MinuteClinic and most health insurance is accepted. Clinics in central Ohio are open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sun., 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

About OhioHealth

OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare organization serving and supported by the community. Named by Thomson Reuters as one of the 10 best healthcare systems in America in 2010, OhioHealth has also been recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Based in Columbus, Ohio, it is a family of 21,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, 18 hospitals, 23 health and surgery centers, home-health providers, medical equipment and health service suppliers throughout a 40-county area. OhioHealth member hospitals include Riverside Methodist Hospital, Grant Medical Center, Doctors Hospital-Columbus, Grady Memorial Hospital, Dublin Methodist Hospital, Doctors Hospital-Nelsonville, Hardin Memorial Hospital and Marion General Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.

About MinuteClinic

MinuteClinic is a division of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States. MinuteClinic is the largest provider of retail-based medical centers in the United States with approximately 500 locations in 26 states and the District of Columbia. By creating a health care delivery model that responds to consumer demand, MinuteClinic makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more Americans. Nationally, the company has generated more than nine million patient visits, with a 95% customer satisfaction rating.  MinuteClinic consistently brings innovation to the marketplace and sets new standards for clinical quality that exceed national guidelines.  MinuteClinic is the first retail health care provider to receive accreditation (2006) and reaccreditation (2009) from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.MinuteClinic.com.

SOURCE MinuteClinic