WOONSOCKET, R.I. — MinuteClinic entered into a clinical affiliation with HCA’s TriStar Health, the largest health system in middle Tennessee.
The CVS Caremark retail health clinic subsidiary said Friday that the partnership will enhance access to affordable health care services in the Nashville metropolitan area.
Under the arrangement, TriStar Health doctors will serve as medical directors for MinuteClinics in middle Tennessee.
MinuteClinic and TriStar Health also will collaborate on patient education and disease management initiatives and inform patients of the services each offers. TriStar Health, too, will accept patients who need a level of care that is not provided at MinuteClinic.
Signage at MinuteClinic locations will inform patients that each site has a clinical affiliation with TriStar Health.
MinuteClinic has 14 walk-in clinics open seven days a week inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in middle Tennessee. The agreement includes any current or future locations in Nashville and 10 surrounding counties: Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson.
"MinuteClinic joins TriStar Health in its commitment to provide the highest-quality medical care to the people of middle Tennessee, with a focus on reducing costs and increasing accessibility to health care services," stated MinuteClinic president Andrew Sussman, who’s also senior vice president and associate chief medical officer at CVS Caremark. "In addition, TriStar has been at the forefront of electronic medical record technology. We look forward to working with them to integrate our systems and develop collaborative programs that improve patient outcomes and help people on their path to better health."
TriStar Health in middle Tennessee includes 11 hospitals and two ambulatory surgery centers supported by about 2,800 physicians.
"We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with MinuteClinic and enhance the overall continuity of care for patients in the communities we serve," commented Steve Corbeil, president of TriStar Health. "This expanded clinical coordination is a natural partnership because their model to provide basic primary care at the time of day and at locations that are convenient for each patient goes hand in hand with TriStar’s mission to provide quality, cost-effective health care services close to where our patients live and work."
