WOONSOCKET, R.I. — MinuteClinic has entered a clinical collaboration with Virtua, a South Jersey health care network.
The CVS Caremark retail health clinic subsidiary said Tuesday that under the agreement, Virtua doctors will serve as medical directors for five MinuteClinics in CVS/pharmacy stores in New Jersey’s Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties.
In addition, MinuteClinic and Virtua will collaborate on patient education and disease management initiatives and inform patients of the services each offers. Virtua will accept patients who need a level of care that’s not provided at MinuteClinic. Signage at MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics will inform patients that each site has a clinical affiliation with Virtua.
"Virtua’s reputation for clinical excellence and its proven track record for patient satisfaction were important factors in our decision to affiliate," MinuteClinic president Andrew Sussman, who’s also senior vice president/associate chief medical officer at CVS Caremark, said in a statement. "We look forward to having Virtua physicians collaborate with MinuteClinic practitioners to provide quality oversight, teaching and backup so MinuteClinic can provide the best care at the lowest overall cost."
South Jersey’s largest health care provider, Virtua has clinical staff of more than 1,800 physicians and delivers care through three Health & Wellness Centers, four hospitals, eight ambulatory surgery centers, two home care agencies, primary and specialty physician practices, and a wide range of outpatient services.
"Virtua is committed to health and wellness and to providing easy access to quality health care," stated Jim Dwyer, executive vice president and chief medical officer at Virtua. "This partnership enables us to achieve our mission of helping people be well, get well and stay well. Partnering with a quality organization like MinuteClinic makes it easier for people to fulfill their health care needs."
