Take Care Health Clinics Open at Three Walgreens in Denver

New walk-in clinics offer patients increased access to high-quality, affordable health care

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 three Take Care Health Clinics at Walgreens drugstores in the Denver area. The clinics are walk-in, professional health care centers open seven days a week with extended evening and weekend hours.

Denver is the first Colorado market to have Take Care Health Clinics. Additional locations will open in the Denver area soon. Future expansion is planned for the state later this year. Take Care Health Systems plans to open more than 400 clinics at Walgreens drugstores by the end of 2008.

“Take Care Health Clinics have brought tremendous value to our existing 16 markets, and we are excited to bring our clinics to Colorado for the first time,” said Peter Miller, Take Care Health Systems’ President and CEO. “We have treated more than 475,000 patients nationwide since November 2005 and received exceedingly high patient satisfaction ratings. We look forward to offering a high-quality, affordable and convenient health care option to the Denver community.”

Take Care Health Clinics in Denver 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 the Denver area:

-- Broomfield: 5190 W. 120th Ave.
-- Wheat Ridge: 4401 Wadsworth Blvd.
-- Parker: 19028 Lincoln Ave.

Take Care Health Systems has partnered with national insurance plans including Aetna, ChoiceCare, CIGNA, Great West Healthcare, Humana, Multiplan/PCHS and UnitedHealthcare to provide covered services to patients, in addition to accepting Medicare. Additional regional insurance plans will be added soon. 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 Clinics offer high-quality, affordable health care by experienced nurse practitioners,” said Carol Gannon, Lead Take Care Nurse Practitioner for Denver. “Take Care Nurse Practitioners understand their local communities and provide an integrated approach to the patient’s long term well-being. We are thrilled to be able to extend our model to yet another state.”

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 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 their 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, and are aligned with guidelines for retail clinics set by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Association.

Take Care Health Systems is part of Walgreens new Health and Wellness division, alongside Walgreens newly-acquired I-trax/CHD Meridian Healthcare and Whole Health Management, two leading providers of worksite health centers that operate under the name Take Care Employer Healthcare Solutions. Including Take Care Health Clinics, Walgreens has more than 500 worksite health and wellness centers and retail health clinics within the division.
Take Care Health Systems currently manages 168 total clinics in 17 cities throughout 14 states, including Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Tenn., Orlando, Fla., Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tampa, Fla., Tucson, Ariz. and West Palm Beach, Fla..