WOONSOCKET, R.I. — MinuteClinic has entered a clinical affiliation with Emory Healthcare, Georgia’s largest hospital system, in the metropolitan Atlanta area.
The CVS Caremark retail health clinic subsidiary said Monday that under the agreement, Emory doctors will serve as medical directors for MinuteClinic locations in metro Atlanta area.
In addition, MinuteClinic and Emory will collaborate on patient education and disease management initiatives as well as inform patients of the services that each offers. Emory will accept patients who need a level of care not provided at MinuteClinic. Signage at MinuteClinics will alert patients that each site has a clinical affiliation with Emory.
MinuteClinic has 31 walk-in medical clinics open inside CVS/pharmacy stores in the Atlanta area. Plans call for MinuteClinic and Emory to begin integrating their electronic medical record systems to streamline communication around all aspects of each patient’s care.
"We share a common goal with Emory Healthcare to make medical care more accessible and convenient in the Atlanta metro area, where we opened our first Georgia clinic in 2007 and continue to grow with six new clinics in 2011," MinuteClinic president Andrew Sussman, who is also senior vice president and associate chief medical officer at CVS Caremark, said in a statement. "As we have experienced with 11 other health system affiliations around the country, this relationship with Emory will enhance our ability to bring high-quality care to patients in MinuteClinic locations in 13 Georgia counties."
With more than 20 health centers throughout metro Atlanta, the Emory Healthcare system encompasses Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital, Wesley Woods Center, The Emory Clinic, Emory Specialty Associates, Emory-Children’s Center, Emory-Adventist Hospital and Emory Johns Creek Hospital.
"Emory Healthcare is expanding our presence to ensure we can offer our patients in the community ready access to outstanding care," stated John Fox, chief executive officer of Emory Healthcare. "As a well-established part of the metro Atlanta community, Emory Healthcare is well-positioned to offer innovative care models as evidenced by this affiliation with CVS that will help extend our services to even more neighborhoods."
