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Take Care Health Clinics Open at Pittsburgh Walgreens

Posted on: Monday, 3 December 2007, 12:00 CST

Take Care Health Systems, one of the largest managers of convenient care clinics and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG), has opened seven Take Care Health Clinics at Walgreens drugstores in the Pittsburgh area. The clinics, which are walk-in, professional health care centers open seven days a week with extended evening and weekend hours, relocated from Rite Aid Pharmacies where they had been open since September 2006. One additional Take Care Health Clinic will open later this month.

"Take Care Health Clinics have proven successful in the Pittsburgh area for more than a year now," said Peter Miller, Take Care Health Systems President and CEO. "Nearly 280,000 patients nationwide have experienced the high-quality, convenient and affordable care that our clinics provide, and we're excited to be in Walgreens in Pittsburgh to continue bringing needed care to patients in the region."

Take Care Health Clinics are staffed by nationally certified family nurse practitioners who treat patients 18 months and older for common illnesses such as strep throat, ear and sinus infections, pink eye and poison ivy, and are licensed to write prescriptions that can be filled at the patient's pharmacy of choice. Take Care Nurse Practitioners provide diagnostic screenings; school, sports and camp physicals; and offer vaccinations for flu, hepatitis B, meningitis and tetanus.

Clinics have two patient examination rooms, exam tables, sinks, cutting-edge patient registration systems and electronic personal health records for visit documentation. Clinics are open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. -- 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m., and are located at the following Walgreens drugstores in the Pittsburgh area:

Mars - 600 Adams Shoppes

Oakmont - 324 Hulton Road

Pleasant Hills - 4 Old Clairton Road

Crafton - 112 W. Steuben St.

New Kensington - 2455 Leechburg Road

Rochester Boro - 100 Rhode Island Ave.

Pittsburgh - 6201 Saltsburg Road

One additional clinic will open over the next few weeks at the following Walgreens drugstore:

Bethel Park - 1741 Washington Road

Most insurance plans are accepted at the clinics, including Highmark, UPMC, Aetna, CIGNA, Coventry, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare and Medicaid, where patients pay their regular co-pay. For the uninsured or cash payers, prices average $59-$74 and are clearly posted on takecarehealth.com and clinic signage.

"Pittsburgh residents have enjoyed the benefit of Take Care Health Clinics, including increased access to high-quality health care, convenient hours and clear, affordable pricing," said Natalie Cansino, Lead Take Care Nurse Practitioner for Pittsburgh. "Take Care Health Clinics will continue to offer great care at Walgreens drugstores, from the same exceptional nurse practitioners who know their local communities and are committed to enhancing the patient-centric experience at Take Care Health Clinics."

Nurse practitioners encourage all patients to have a "health care home," a medical provider they see routinely for on-going medical needs and routine exams. If a patient's condition falls outside of the scope of practice at the clinic, the patient is referred back to his/her primary care provider for follow-on care. If a patient does not have a primary care physician, nurse practitioners will offer a list of physicians in the area accepting new patients. Take Care Nurse Practitioners collaborate with local physicians who are available for consultation at all times the practitioner is treating a patient.

Take Care Health Systems uses nationally recognized, evidence-based clinical guidelines for treatment and electronic medical record technology allowing patients to take visit records to their other providers, ensuring continuity of care. Take Care Nurse Practitioners follow quality and safety standards as outlined by the Convenient Care Association, the industry's trade association, and are aligned with guidelines for retail clinics set by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Association.

Take Care Health Systems currently manages 106 Take Care Health Clinics in Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Orlando, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tampa, and Tucson. Take Care Health Systems plans to open more than 400 clinics at Walgreens drugstores by the end of 2008.

About Take Care Health SystemsSM

Take Care Health SystemsSM (www.takecarehealth.com), one of the largest managers of convenient care clinics, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens. Take Care Health ClinicsSM managed by Take Care Health Systems combine best practices in medicine and the expertise and personal care of Take Care Health ProvidersSM in providing high-quality, accessible and affordable health care to all individuals. Take Care Health Systems maintains a detailed quality assurance program including collaborating physician review to ensure quality care, patient safety and state scope of practice compliance. Patient care is provided by Take Care Health ServicesSM, an independently owned state professional corporation established in each market.

About Walgreens

Walgreen Co. (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2007 sales of $53.8 billion. The company operates 6,059 stores in 49 states and Puerto Rico, including 77 Happy Harry's stores in Delaware and surrounding states. Walgreens is expanding its patient-first health care services beyond traditional pharmacy through Walgreens Health Services, its managed care division, and Take Care Health Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary that manages convenient care clinics at drugstores. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives, Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service, Inc., Walgreens Home Care, Inc. and Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy, LLC.

Source: Business Wire

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