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.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve got the flu and need to see a doctor, you’ve got three options, in descending order of preference: you can try to see your family doctor, visit an urgent care department or go to the emergency room.

But if a trend gaining steam nationally makes its way to New Hampshire, you could have a fourth option: pop down to your local pharmacy’s medical clinic. Such clinics are opening around the country at a steady clip. Not only are they relatively cheap — good if you’re uninsured — they are convenient too. Although major operators of the clinics say they don’t have plans to open any in New Hampshire, it likely might just be a matter of time before they do.

“Ultimately, we plan to have MinuteClinic locations in all of the markets where we have CVS pharmacy locations,” said Carolyn Castel, a CVS Caremark Corp. spokesman, in an e-mail.

Read the rest of this entry »

Convenient health care just became a little easier to access for CIGNA HealthCare members in Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Arizona and Tennessee, as the company added The Little Clinic health care centers to its network, effective January 1, 2008.

“From the parent running from activity to activity to the working adult who has to cram a visit for minor illness care into a lunch hour, retail clinics offer the convenience and quality our members want,” said Dick Salmon, M.D., CIGNA medical officer. “The Little Clinic is an affordable and efficient option for members with a minor illness.”

The Little Clinic is located in certain Kroger and Publix stores and is open seven days a week, with evening and weekend hours. Members who visit The Little Clinic can receive immunizations, as well as care for a range of common ailments, from influenza or bronchitis and ear and sinus infections, to seasonal allergies, swimmers ear, and skin conditions such as poison ivy, without an appointment. Most visits are completed in less than a half hour.

Read the rest of this entry »