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Take Care Health Systems(SM) Supports the AMA's Guiding Principles for the Operation of In Store Healthcare Centers; Take Care Notes Alignment With AMA Recommendations Since Formation of Company

Posted on: Thursday, 22 June 2006, 15:00 CDT

Company Encourages Industry Wide Meeting for Continued Discussion and Dialogue to Highlight Key Issues of Access to Care and Integration of Patients Into the Healthcare System

Take Care Health Systems(SM), a leading operator of retail based healthcare, announced today that they appreciate the AMA's leadership and recognition of the emergence of the retail clinic industry as a significant event within healthcare delivery. Take Care is pleased that the AMA, like the AAFP, has rightly outlined a set of guidelines/attributes for the operation of in-store health centers, and has stated the need for the delivery of quality healthcare in a retail setting.

The Company cited historical alignment with the recommendations, and furthermore, noted that Take Care was founded with many of these principles in place.

Take Care also noted, that the demand for this new model of care arises out of an urgent issue recognized by so many across the entire spectrum of healthcare providers -- that of access to care. The importance of this issue cannot be understated, and the need for continued dialogue is critical.

"We believe the AMA's recognition and acknowledgement of retail based healthcare builds on and foreshadows a productive dialogue between the greater medical community and the retail clinic industry on how we can best work together to deliver quality, accessible care options to those in need," said Peter Miller, President, CEO and co-founder of Take Care Health Systems. "We feel so strongly that in our mission to provide accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare, we need to operate with a 'patient first' philosophy in everything we do. We look forward to working with the AMA, AAFP, national nursing organizations, other retail healthcare companies and the local communities where we operate to truly discuss how we put patients' needs first, integrate patient care and deliver a great patient healthcare experience."

Take Care Chairman and co-founder Hal Rosenbluth commented on the scope of the AMA's principles, "In-store health centers are a much needed solution to a healthcare system that is in 'critical condition'. We need to accelerate the discussion between traditional healthcare and the emerging retail clinic industry with an objective of addressing patient access and integrating the uninsured or those patients without primary care providers into the healthcare system."

To that end, Take Care has reached out to the greater medical community, including organizations such as the AMA, AAFP, AANP, ACNP and other leading medical organizations, as well as executives of the leading retail healthcare companies, to encourage their participation in a meeting on access and integration with the goal of working together to focus on patients' needs. The Company looks forward to working together with these organizations to convene an industry wide meeting in the fall of this year.

"For the provision of quality healthcare to improve, and quality access to care increase, all medical and nursing professions need to work together to make it happen," added Rosenbluth. "I believe that it is time for all involved in the provision of healthcare to find a common ground that puts the 'patient first'."

"It takes a team to provide healthcare for patients," said Sandra Ryan, Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer at Take Care Health Systems. "Now is the time for all providers, from NPs to physicians to specialists, to embrace quality healthcare options for all patients alike."

"One of Take Care's core principles has always been strong relationships with the medical community," said Dr. Regina Baime, Chief Medical Officer at Take Care Health Systems. "Take Care looks forward to continuing our work with the medical communities so that we may further improve lines of communication with local providers in order to thoroughly integrate care for people that come to our centers."

Take Care Health Systems operates Take Care Health Centers, professional family healthcare centers, located inside retail pharmacies. Take Care Nurse Practitioners (TCNPs) diagnose, treat, and write commonly used prescriptions for standard family illnesses in each care center, and adhere to state scope of practice regulations. Take Care utilizes evidence-based protocols and guidelines, developed from organizations such as the AAP and the AAFP and created specifically for Take Care's context and setting.

To date, Take Care Health Centers are open in the Portland, Oregon and the Greater Kansas City area. Next on the horizon for Take Care will be an expansion in Kansas City as well as new locations opening in St. Louis, MO, other Midwestern cities and on the East Coast over the next few months. Take Care plans to operate 1400 centers by 2009.

About Take Care Health Systems

Take Care Health Systems of Conshohocken, PA is bringing high-quality, convenient and affordable healthcare to all Americans by working with national retail pharmacies, focusing on collaboration with traditional healthcare channels and leveraging best-in-class technology,. Take Care's vision is to combine best practices in medicine and the expertise and personal care of Take Care Nurse Practitioners with world-class customer service, filling a critical need in America by providing easy access to healthcare. The Company's nurse practitioners focus exclusively on diagnosis, treatment, screenings and vaccinations for common family illnesses. From providing an easy entry point to healthcare to a pathway to electronic medical records, Take Care believes its care model has the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery - both by bringing more individuals into healthcare and ultimately lowering costs within the system. Take Care is a complement to the comprehensive care of a primary care physician, not a substitute for that care. The Company strongly supports the concept of a medical home, the idea that each individual should have a primary care physician who is aware of and coordinates all of that individual's care. Take Care operates through an integrated, team-based approach with the medical communities where they operate to maintain optimal referral networks and integration of patient care. The firm was co-founded by Hal Rosenbluth, past president and CEO of six billion dollar global travel company Rosenbluth International, and Peter Miller, former executive at Johnson & Johnson, most recently as president of a $3 billion pharmaceutical company and previously as worldwide president of a $400 million consumer healthcare company. For more information on Take Care Health Systems, please visit www.takecarehealth.com.

Source: Business Wire

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