Health care in the express lane is what you can anticipate when you head to the Minute Clinic.

“How about five minutes? That’s what it’s taking people to come in, sign-in and get a flu shot,” said nurse practitioner Nina Ellison.

And in that five minutes, Hampton checks in, receives treatment and is off to enjoy the rest of his day.

“It was very quick, very smooth and very easy,” said Hampton.

The idea behind the fast health care center is to allow patients to come in, consult with a physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner, like Nina Ellison, without having to lose an entire day.

“The message of Minute Clinic is that we are convenient, we are cost effective and we give a real high-quality of care,” said Ellison.

The clinic offers common treatments for things like strep throat, poison ivy and pink eye.  It also offers vaccines in an instant.

“We’re trying to prevent hospitalization and long illnesses,” said Ellison.

These fast and affordable mini-clinics provide health care for people on the go.

You can find Minute Clinics inside three Columbia-area CVS pharmacies.

Source: WACH.com
Original Publication Date: November 6, 2008