MinuteClinic To Open Its First Walk-in Medical Clinic in Hawaii

WOONSOCKET, R.I., Sept. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- MinuteClinic, a division of CVS Caremark Corporation and the largest provider of retail medical clinics in the United States, will open today its first walk-in medical clinic in Hawaii at the Longs Drug store on South King Street in Honolulu near the University of Hawaii, Manoa. It is the first of seven MinuteClinic locations to open inside select Longs Drug stores on Oahu in the next two weeks. Additional clinics will serve patients in Aiea, Hawaii Kai, Kailua, Kaneohe, Kapolei and Waialae.

The walk-in medical clinics are open seven days a week with no appointment necessary.

Hawaii Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, Hawaii House of Representatives Health Committee Chair Della Au Belatti and City and County of Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell will join MinuteClinic and Longs Drug officials at today's grand opening event that includes a traditional maile lei untying and blessing ceremony.

Longs Drug stores are owned and operated by CVS/pharmacy. MinuteClinic Chief Medical Officer Nancy Gagliano, M.D. said Hawaii's Longs locations are an important milestone in MinuteClinic's national expansion plan to open 150 clinics nationwide in 2013.

"We are thrilled to bring MinuteClinic to Hawaii – our first new state in five years and the first of three new states in 2013," said Gagliano.  "We believe MinuteClinic can be part of the solution to help broaden access to high quality, convenient and affordable health care services on Oahu."

The clinics are staffed by MinuteClinic nurse practitioners who specialize in family health care and can diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common family illnesses such as strep throat and ear, eye, sinus, bladder and bronchial infections. Minor wounds, abrasions, skin conditions and joint sprains are treated, and common vaccinations such as influenza, tetanus, pneumonia and hepatitis A & B are available at most locations. Walk-in camp, sports, and college physicals are available daily. In addition, MinuteClinic administers a series of wellness services designed to help consumers identify lifestyle changes needed to improve their current and future health, including screenings and monitoring for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Most health insurance is accepted at MinuteClinic, including Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) plans. For patients paying cash or credit, treatment prices are posted at each clinic and on www.minuteclinic.com. The cost for most services starts at $79.

MinuteClinic practitioners use a software program that at the conclusion of each visit generates educational material, an invoice and a prescription (when clinically appropriate) for the patient, as well as a diagnostic record that can be sent via electronic health record, fax or mail to a primary care provider with patient permission.

CVS Caremark is the exclusive provider of pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services for HMSA, Hawaii's Blue Cross Blue Shield Association licensee. Since the relationship between CVS Caremark and HMSA began in January 2013, HMSA has been a strong advocate for bringing MinuteClinic to Hawaii.

"The opening of MinuteClinic locations in Hawaii is another concrete example of the commitment CVS Caremark has to both our membership and the community at large," said Michael Stollar, HMSA Senior Vice President, Integrated Health Development. "We are excited to welcome MinuteClinic to the islands and believe their convenient services such as vaccinations, screenings and monitoring of chronic conditions such as diabetes, can help support primary care providers in Hawaii in their mission to keep their patients healthy."

MinuteClinic is committed to helping patients find a medical home, and believes it can play a complementary role as part of the medical home team, according to Gagliano.

"About 50 percent of our visits occur on evenings, weekends and holidays when patients may not be able to get an appointment with their primary care provider," she said. "And about half of the patients we see, do not have a physician, due in large part to the severe shortage of primary care doctors in the U.S. We expect the same patterns in Hawaii."

Patients who visit MinuteClinic without a PCP are provided a list of physicians in the area who are accepting new patients, Gagliano said.

MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics in Hawaii operate from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. MinuteClinic locations inside Longs Drug stores in Hawaii are:

Aiea

• 98-1005 Moanalua Rd #400 (opening Sept. 30)

Honolulu

• 2470 S. King St. (opened Sept. 26)
• 4211 Waialae Ave. (opening Sept. 30)
• 377 Keahole St.  (opening Oct. 2)

Kailua

• 609 Kailua Rd (opening Oct. 2)

Kaneohe

• 45 480 Kaneohe Bay Dr. (opening Oct. 2)

Kapolei

• 91-590 Farrington Highway #300 (opening Sept. 30)

About MinuteClinic
MinuteClinic is a division of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States. MinuteClinic launched the first retail medical clinics in the United States in 2000 and is the largest provider of retail clinics with more than 700 locations in 26 states and the District of Columbia. By creating a health care delivery model that responds to consumer demand, MinuteClinic makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more Americans. Nationally, the company has generated more than 17 million patient visits, with a 95% customer satisfaction rating. MinuteClinic is the only retail health care provider to receive three consecutive accreditations from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.MinuteClinic.com.

SOURCE MinuteClinic

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED