Retail Healthcare News

“MedBasics Family Health Centers work well for the average American, always on the go,” said Kenneth Phenow, M.D., market medical executive for CIGNA. “From the parent trying to get a child’s immunizations up to date while running between children’s many activities to the working adult trying to get a minor illness checked during a lunch hour, retail clinics offer an affordable, efficient and convenient option.”

MedBasics Family Health Centers are located in Carnival Super Markets in Dallas-Fort Worth and inside USA Drug Stores in Little Rock, Ark., and are open seven days a week, with extended evening and weekend hours. Members who visit MedBasics can receive a variety of routine, non-urgent and preventative medical services including immunizations, flu shots and treatments of common illnesses such as allergies, bladder infections, bronchitis, ear and sinus infections, fever and strep throat. Most visits are completed in an average of 15 minutes.

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St. Vincent Health System and MedBasics, one of the leading operators of convenient care clinics in the country, have announced the execution of a formal collaboration agreement that will maximize the delivery of quality and accessible health care in Central Arkansas. MedBasics operates convenient care clinics, open seven days a week, that provide walk-in medical services inside major retail outlets for routine, non-urgent medical conditions and preventive care.Specifically, the agreement provides for St. Vincent to identify a corporate medical director and supervising physicians for new MedBasics locations in the Little Rock area. The first three MedBasics clinics in the Little Rock area opened inside USA Drug stores last month.

“We look forward to collaborating with MedBasics based on the company’s pioneering work in the convenient care clinic arena. This organization has introduced fast, affordable and accessible health care in a convenient retail setting, which will benefit Central Arkansans,” said Alan Winkler, Vice President of Clinic Operations for St. Vincent Health System.

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Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Thursday it plans to open walk-in medical clinics under the name The Clinic at Wal-Mart in cooperation with local hospitals and the national RediClinic LLC chain to provide immediate care for patients with common ailments.

The first of the clinics, to be housed in the retailer’s supercenters, are expected to open in Little Rock and Atlanta in April. The four Little Rock clinics will be operated in partnership with St. Vincent Health System, a part of the Catholic Health Care Initiatives system.

The move is the Bentonville-based retailer’s latest effort to play a role in changing the nation’s health-care system, as well as create greater efficiency and bring down costs.

The company aims to have 400 of the clinics operating by 2010. It already contracts with RediClinic and other providers for walk-in clinics at several stores, but without a formal arrangement with local hospitals.

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MedBasics Family Health Centers will offer approximately 600 free flu vaccinations in the Little Rock area between February 2 and February 9, helping to combat Arkansas’ flu epidemic. The Center for Disease Control reports increased outbreaks of influenza and influenza like illnesses and currently lists influenza outbreaks in Arkansas at a regional level, the second highest category used to measure the prevalence of influenza.

And with the peak flu season coming in February, MedBasics wants to reduce the number of cases in the area. The company will offer 200 free flu shots at each of their three clinics in the Little Rock area.

The free vaccinations will be offered on Saturday, Feb. 2, at the MedBasics located inside the USA Drug store at 105 N. Rodney Parham in Little Rock, Sunday, Feb. 3, at the MedBasics location inside the USA Drug store at 3525 HWY 5 North in Bryant, and on Saturday, Feb. 9, at the MedBasics located inside the USA Drug store at 2743 Lakewood Village in North Little Rock. The vaccinations will be offered on a first-come first serve basis to anyone four years of age and up. Following this offer, MedBasics will offer $10 flu shots for the rest of the flu season, which is much less than the $30 most doctors’ offices and clinics charge.

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Aniccia Quinonez was aching, feverish and tired. Sitting in a stiff chair for hours at the doctor’s office was the last thing she felt like doing after work Thursday, especially when Quinonez is one of the 5 million Texans without health insurance.

Instead, she went to the grocery store. Less than an hour later, she left with a diagnosis — the flu — and a filled prescription to help her get well.

“It was really easy,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve been here, but it’s fast.”

The health clinic Quinonez visited, the RediClinic inside the H-E-B grocery store at 2955 Gulf Freeway S. in League City, was the first in the area to offer a quick-stop primary care visit for a fraction of what most doctor’s offices charge.

But industry experts say it won’t be the last.

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