Take Care Health Clinics Open at Two Walgreens in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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 Health Clinics at Walgreens drugstores in the Columbus area. 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 15 clinics in the state, including six in the Cincinnati area, seven in the Cleveland area and two in the Columbus area. Additional expansion is planned for the Columbus area this year.

“Take Care Health Clinics have been very well-received in Ohio since opening clinics in Cincinnati and Cleveland late last year,” said Peter Miller, Take Care Health Systems’ President and CEO. “Nationwide, Take Care Health Providers have treated more than half a million patients, with exceedingly high patient satisfaction ratings. We look forward to providing high-quality, affordable and convenient health care to the Columbus community.”

Take Care Health Clinics in Columbus 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, shingles 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 Columbus area:

Columbus - 4530 Kenny Road

Heath - 764 Hebron Road

Take Care Health Systems has partnered with numerous insurers including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, ChoiceCare, CIGNA, Coventry, Great West Healthcare, Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, UnitedHealthcare, and traditional Medicare and Medicaid. If insured by one of these plans, patients pay their regular co-pay or coinsurance. For the uninsured or cash payers, prices average $59-$74 and are listed on clinic sign-in kiosks.

“Experienced nurse practitioners understand their local communities and are committed to providing an unparalleled patient experience at Take Care Health Clinics,” said Lynn Scarbrough, Regional Nurse Practitioner for Take Care Health’s Central Region, including the Ohio markets. “Take Care Health Clinics fill a niche in the communities we serve and are an important part of the solution to the current health care crisis. We are delighted to bring the people of Ohio more access to care.”

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 newly 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 Health Clinics, the Walgreens Health and Wellness division manages approximately 550 worksite health and wellness centers and retail health clinics.

Take Care Health Systems currently manages 183 clinics in 23 markets throughout 14 states, including Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, 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., Tucson, Ariz. and West Palm Beach, Fla.

About Take Care Health Systems^SM

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 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 183 Take Care Health Clinics in 23 markets throughout 14 states, with plans to have approximately 400 clinics in operation by the end of 2008. Patient care at each of the Take Care Health 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 more than 170 clients in 44 states, including the District of Columbia and Guam, with approximately 400 sites projected by the end of 2008.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2007 sales of $53.8 billion. The company operates 6,252 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 183 convenient care clinics at Walgreens drugstores, and Take Care Employer Solutions, managers of worksite-based health and wellness services at 364 employer campuses.