Content about Clinic

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. Retail-based clinic operator The Little Clinic has stated for the first time that it is a wholly owned subsidiary of grocery chain Kroger.

A Kroger spokesperson was not immediately available to provide additional details.

In 2008, it was announced that Kroger had made an investment of an undisclosed amount into The Little Clinic. The investment, at that time, was described as "significant." Private equity firm Solera Capital had acquired The Little Clinic's predecessor in 2005.

NEW YORK An article featured on MedPageToday.com picks up on the expansion of clinic services offered at retail health clinics, underscoring the importance of nurse practitioners and entry into the role in chronic disease management.

"We're evolving our clinic offerings, from episodic treatment to looking at how do we get more chronic disease management, how do we do more prevention, how do we do more screening?" Sandra Ryan, chief nurse practitioner officer for Take Care Health Systems, was quoted as saying.

It’s not like I’m not one of those conspiracy theorists. But I’m also not stupid enough to think that Lee Harvey Oswald was a good enough shot to have acted alone, either.

That’s kind of the way I have felt these past few weeks since the American Academy of Family Physicians suddenly reversed its official policy on retail clinics. The AAFP no longer will enter into agreements like the ones it previously held with Minute Clinic, Rediclinic, The Little Clinic and BellinHealth Fast Care, the group announced Feb. 24.

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. Take Care Health Systems, which is owned by Walgreens, has announced that it now is offering camp and sports physicals at all Take Care Clinics nationwide.

The clinics, located within nearly 360 Walgreens stores nationwide, are offering physicals for $35 through the end of September. The physicals are administered by nurse practitioners and, in select markets, physician assistants.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The news that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida is wading into the retail landscape with the opening of its fourth retail location in Florida is yet one more indication of the important role that convenient care clinics play in today's U.S. healthcare system.

(THE NEWS: Report: BCBS of Florida gets personal. For the full story, click here)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The recent report by the National Center for Policy Analysis is yet one more indication of the important role that retail-based health clinics play in today's overburdened healthcare system.

(THE NEWS: New report emphasizes importance of retail clinics, projects growth. For the full story, click here)

NEW YORK The expansion of MinuteClinic's partnership with Humana not only further illustrates the important role that retail-based clinics play in the U.S. healthcare system and the model's growing acceptance among third-party payers, but it also underscores the significance of worksite clinics.

NEW YORK Worth repeating: “Researchers reviewed the experiences of 2,100 patients treated in clinics in Minnesota in 2005 and 2006 for middle ear infections, sore throats and urinary tract infections.”

Satisfaction ratings soared above 90% and the healthcare savings were as high as 40%. And every one of those three more popular conditions presenting at retail clinics have over-the-counter product solutions.