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Take Care Health Systems Opens First Clinic at Cleveland Walgreens

Posted on: Thursday, 20 December 2007, 15:00 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 launched in the Cleveland area, with one Take Care Health Clinic open in Mentor and two additional sites opening in Cuyahoga Falls and Akron by the end of the year. The clinics are walk-in, professional health care centers open seven days a week with extended evening and weekend hours. Additional Take Care Health Clinics are planned in the Cleveland area in 2008.

"Take Care Health Clinics bring tremendous value to the markets where we operate, and we're excited to open our clinics in the Cleveland area," said Peter Miller, Take Care Health Systems' President and CEO. "Our clinics are accessible, convenient, and most of all, provide high-quality care on the patient's terms. Take Care Health's goal is to redefine the patient's health care experience, and we deliver on that through innovative technology and a patient-first philosophy in all we do."

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 p.m. The first Take Care Health Clinic to open in the Cleveland area is located at the following Walgreens drugstore:

Mentor -- 9400 Mentor Ave.

Two additional clinics will open by the end of the year in the following Walgreens drugstores:

Cuyahoga Falls -- 2645 State Road

Akron -- 1130 S Arlington St.

Many insurance plans are accepted at the clinics, including Aetna, CIGNA, Great West, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Multiplan, Medicare and more plans will be added soon. If insured by one of these plans, 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.

"We are excited to bring our model of patient-focused health care to residents of Cleveland," said Lynn Scarbrough, Take Care Health Systems Regional Nurse Practitioner who oversees the Cleveland market. "Take Care Health Clinics offer care from experienced nurse practitioners who understand their local communities and are committed to increasing access to high-quality, affordable care and enhancing the experience at our 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 119 Take Care Health Clinics in Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Tenn., Orlando, Fla., Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tampa, Fla. and Tucson, Ariz. More than 400 Take Care Health Clinics are expected to be in operation by the end of calendar 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 6,139 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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