DEERFIELD, Ill. & SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walgreens and Providence Health & Services today announced a strategic clinical collaboration aimed at coordinating patient care and improving patient access, which plans to bring up to 25 new retail clinics to Oregon and Washington. The clinics will be owned and operated by Providence and its affiliates, and become the first to open at Walgreens stores under a new collaborative services model.
Providence Express Care at Walgreens, or Swedish Express Care at Walgreens in the Seattle area, will provide an integrated health care option for patients with a known, trusted provider, while helping to evolve the retail clinic model from urgent episodic care to more coordinated care. In the near term, Walgreens and Providence will open three clinics in both the Portland and Seattle areas in early 2016, with plans for further expansion within the next two years.
“This is a reflection of our efforts to develop deeper and more strategic relationships with our health system partners,” said Jeff Koziel, Walgreens group vice president for Healthcare Clinics. “Collaboration among providers is key in today’s health care environment, to help ensure continuity of patient care and to provide greater convenience and access for patients. We look forward to working with Providence to expand the retail clinic footprint at Walgreens, and to help manage patients for both pharmacy and medical needs.”
The Providence and Swedish electronic health record platform will connect directly to the clinics to create a seamless experience no matter where patients choose to access care. Information, and more importantly, care, is coordinated between visits, leading to overall better long-term health management for the consumer.
“Accessing quality health care should be convenient and simple,” said Mike Waters, senior vice president of physician services at Providence. “We believe this collaboration is a solution for health care providers to better serve populations. With Walgreens nationwide footprint and deep understanding of patients’ needs, together we can ease the way for consumers and ultimately, create healthier communities.”
Providence and Swedish Express Care at Walgreens will offer a fast, easy and affordable option for treating common illnesses and injuries. The clinics will operate extended hours seven days a week, allow for walk-ins and same-day scheduling and provide an after-hours option for care on evenings and weekends.
Swedish Health Services is a Providence affiliate and trusted provider with a 105-year history of serving patients in the Northwest. In the first six clinics, Swedish providers will staff Issaquah, Kirkland and Renton, Wash. locations and Providence providers will staff Beaverton and Milwaukie, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash. locations.
As part of the agreement, Walgreens and Providence will form a collaborative leadership governance council to further advance retail health. The council will bring together Walgreens expertise in retail pharmacy and national Healthcare Clinic operations, with Providence’s health system and patient care expertise. The council will explore opportunities for Providence to participate in Walgreens national retail clinic and pharmacy programs, as well as opportunities to integrate additional retail health services and offerings into the customer and patient experience at Walgreens.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), the nation's largest drugstore chain, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,240 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com. Walgreens also manages more than 400 Healthcare Clinic and provider practice locations around the country.
About Providence Health & Services
Providence Health & Services is a not-for-profit Catholic health care ministry committed to providing for the needs of the communities it serves – especially for those who are poor and vulnerable. Providence's services include 34 hospitals, 475 physician clinics, senior services, supportive housing and many other health and educational services. The health system and its affiliates employ more than 76,000 people across five states – Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon and Washington – with its system office located in Renton, Wash. In 2014, Providence provided more than $848 million in community benefit to help create healthier communities. Providence Health & Services continues a tradition of caring that the Sisters of Providence began nearly 160 years ago.
