DEERFIELD, Ill. & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) and VillageMD today announced a goal to open more than 10 new Village Medical at Walgreens primary care practices in Massachusetts by the beginning of 2023. The first location is expected to open this May in Quincy followed by locations across the state including locations in the Boston area.
“VillageMD and Walgreens are working together to increase access to high-quality primary care coordinated with convenient pharmacy services across the nation,” said John Torontow, M.D., national medical director of Village Medical. “Our model empowers our experienced physicians and pharmacists to focus on comprehensive patient care, which results in better health for our patients and communities.”
Village Medical at Walgreens primary care practices in Massachusetts will create more than 350 full-time jobs in the Commonwealth and directly employ more than 150 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) professionals, such as physicians, nurse practitioners and medical assistants.1 Physicians and pharmacists are supported with high-tech tools, optimized electronic medical records and reduced administrative tasks, empowering them to focus on providing patient care and achieving positive health outcomes.
“People need a new solution to take the place of the time-consuming, confusing and expensive healthcare experience many of them live with today,” said Kevin McMurray, healthcare supervisor for Walgreens in the Boston area. “Walgreens and VillageMD are leveraging our combined expertise in primary care and pharmacy to make healthcare easier.”
Based on 2018 data, more than 40 percent of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and older in Massachusetts have four or more chronic conditions which require ongoing medical attention2. Village Medical physicians and Walgreens pharmacy team members work together to provide expert care for chronic conditions, as well as everyday illnesses and injuries. Physicians and pharmacists collaborate closely to fill prescriptions immediately following medical visits, often at the same location if they choose to do so, and ensure patients have ongoing access to care and medical expertise.
With the Massachusetts openings, VillageMD and Walgreens will have opened more than 100 practices across 13 markets, including Arizona, Florida, Texas, Kentucky and Indiana. The companies are on track to open more than 200 practices by the end of 2022.
Walgreens Boots Alliance recently announced an increased investment in VillageMD to advance its strategic position in the delivery of value-based primary care. This investment will accelerate the opening of more than 600 Village Medical at Walgreens primary care practices in more than 30 U.S. markets by 2025 and 1,000 by 2027, with more than half of those practices in medically underserved communities.
Village Medical at Walgreens practices accept a wide range of health insurance including Medicaid and Medicare in participating markets. Patients may access care and support through in-person, at-home and telehealth visits. Patients can learn more and book appointments by visiting
https://www.villagemedical.com/locations/massachusetts.
To learn more about career opportunities at Village Medical at Walgreens, please visit the VillageMD careers page.
For more information as well as multimedia assets, please visit the Walgreens Newsroom.
About Walgreens Boots Alliance
Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader serving millions of customers and patients every day, with a 170-year heritage of caring for communities.
A trusted, global innovator in retail pharmacy with approximately 13,000 locations across the U.S., Europe and Latin America, WBA plays a critical role in the healthcare ecosystem. The company is reimagining local healthcare and well-being for all as part of its purpose – to create more joyful lives through better health. Through dispensing medicines, improving access to a wide range of health services, providing high-quality health and beauty products and offering anytime, anywhere convenience across its digital platforms, WBA is shaping the future of healthcare.
WBA has more than 315,000 team members and a presence in nine countries through its portfolio of consumer brands: Walgreens, Boots, Duane Reade, the No7 Beauty Company, Benavides in Mexico and Ahumada in Chile. Additionally, WBA has a portfolio of healthcare-focused investments located in several countries, including China and the U.S.
The company is proud of its contributions to healthy communities, a healthy planet, an inclusive workplace and a sustainable marketplace. WBA has been recognized for its commitment to operating sustainably: it is an index component of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) and was named to the 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2021.
More company information is available at www.walgreensbootsalliance.com.
About VillageMD
VillageMD, through its subsidiary Village Medical, is a leading, national provider of value-based primary care services. VillageMD partners with physicians to provide the tools, technology, operations, staffing support and industry relationships to deliver high-quality clinical care and better patient outcomes, while reducing the total cost of care. The Village Medical brand provides primary care for patients at traditional free-standing practices, Village Medical at Walgreens practices, at home and via virtual visits. VillageMD and Village Medical have grown to 22 markets and are responsible for more than 1.6 million patients. VillageMD is a leading participant in CMS innovation programs and will apply to participate in the upcoming ACO REACH model, which helps providers deliver better outcomes for patients and create healthier communities through value-based care. To learn more, please visit www.villageMD.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements. All statements in this release that are not historical are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those related to the timing and effectiveness of collaboration plans and implementation, the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the strategic partnership, competitive actions in the marketplace, and the ability to achieve anticipated financial and operating results in the amounts and at the times anticipated, as well as those described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.’s Form 10-K for its fiscal year ending August 31, 2021 and in other documents that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. files or furnishes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Each of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., Walgreens and VillageMD do not undertake, and expressly disclaim, any duty or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the date of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.
1Village Medical internal data.
2 America’s Health Rankings: Multiple Chronic Conditions – Ages 65+. Accessed at https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/senior/measure/mult_chronic_conditions_sr_a/state/MA on March 3, 2022.
