TakeCare, Community Health Collaborate

The Walgreen retail clinic subsidiary Take Care Health Systems has entered into an agreement with the Community Health Network to expand the amount of care available to the latter's members in Indiana.

Under the agreement, Community Health's patients will be able to have greater access to Take Care's clinics via expanded hours; Take Care's nurse practitioners will be able to communicate more easily with Community Health's physicians; and there will be an overall improvement in the coordination of care between the two providers.

Retail clinics began popping up in earnest about five years ago, primarily on the site of major pharmacy chains. Typically charging $65 for a visit, they provide basic primary care services such as basic examinations and vaccinations.

Although the retail clinic concept was initially greeted with some skepticism, most networks have grown. Take Care, for example, operates in 18 states. It operates 14 sites in Indiana, most in the Indianapolis area. Five of the clinic sites will work in closer collaboration with Community Health, officials said.

The rapid growth and acceptance of the retail clinic model has prodded healthcare systems such as Community Health – which operates eight hospitals and dozens of medical offices – to find cost-effective ways of providing primary care without an appointment while steering patients away from emergency rooms.

Walgreens and Community Health had previously collaborated on a medication adherence program. Officials said working together on that project had prompted this current collaboration.

“With its ambulatory footprint and position as one of the most highly integrated healthcareproviders in Central Indiana, Community Health Network shares our objectives to improve access and overall health, while alsoreducing costs for patients, payers and providers,” said Jeffrey Kang, M.D., Walgreens' senior vice president of healthand wellness services and solutions. “By developing new and innovative coordinated care programs, Walgreens and Take CareClinics are helping to bridge critical gaps in care by working closely with others in the medical community.”