Baylor Scott & White Health today announced a collaboration with Walgreens, an agreement which includes two main components. Healthcare Clinic locations at select Walgreens stores will participate in the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance (BSWQA), which is the Baylor Scott & White Health accountable care organization. The collaboration also includes a collaborative practice agreement with Walgreens Healthcare Clinic affiliated provider group, through which Baylor Scott & White Health affiliate HealthTexas Provider Network physicians will be available for consultation at more than a dozen Healthcare Clinic locations across Dallas-Fort Worth.
Primary care physicians from HealthTexas Provider Network, who are members of BSWQA, will be available for consultation and collaboration with nurse practitioners and physician assistants at participating Healthcare Clinic locations. The physicians will be available to provide consultations by telephone and email, and will review patient charts on an ongoing basis.
With their participation in the BSWQA, the clinics will be in-network for 40,000 BSWQA covered members. Plans are in place to link the clinics to Baylor Scott & White's health information exchange.
Carl Couch, M.D., BSWQA president, said Healthcare Clinics at select Walgreens will allow BSWQA to increase access to care with convenient evening and weekend hours at a lower cost of care.
"We provide seamless data-driven care for our covered members through patient-centered medical homes, data analysis to identify gaps in care and identify those at risk of high health costs, and care coordination. We are also trying to deliver high-quality, efficient and cost-effective care. The Walgreens collaboration will allow us to advance all of those goals," Couch said.
There are more than 420 Healthcare Clinics at select Walgreens locations in 22 states and Washington, D.C. In 2013, the company expanded services at Healthcare Clinic to include assessment, treatment and management of some chronic conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
According to a recent Walgreens study, the number of patients making return visits to Healthcare Clinics increased from 15 percent in 2007 to more than 50 percent in 2013. Additionally, the percentage of visits to Healthcare Clinic locations for preventive services, screening and chronic visit utilization (combined) increased from 4 percent in 2007 to 17 percent in 2013.
"Access to care in the community, and the growing need to support patients with chronic diseases are two of the biggest challenges facing our health care system," said Patrick Carroll, M.D., chief medical officer for Healthcare Clinic. "These studies further demonstrate that retail clinics can be instrumental in providing that care, driving patient engagement, and working in coordination with physicians and other providers in the community to foster continuity of care to support more patients."
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MEDIA CONTACT:
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About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White is empowering customers to live well by reimagining traditional healthcare — creating more convenient, personalized and informed experiences. It serves more than three million customers through 53 hospitals, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple; the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute; 1,300+ access points; 59,000+ team members; and its leading digital platform — MyBSWHealth. The system's award-winning employer solutions include Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and Levanto — a company offering digitally enabled health products. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White's mission is to promote the health and well-being of all individuals, families and communities. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com