WOONSOCKET, R.I. — MinuteClinic and southeastern health system St. Vincent’s HealthCare have entered into a clinical affiliation to enhance the health care services they provide in the Jacksonville, Fla., metropolitan area.
Under the agreement announced Thursday by CVS Caremark Corp., parent of MinuteClinic, St. Vincent’s Primary Care family physicians will serve as medical directors for MinuteClinic locations in Jacksonville.
In addition, MinuteClinic and St. Vincent’s will collaborate on patient education and disease management initiatives and inform patients of the services each offers. St. Vincent’s Health System 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 St. Vincent’s Primary Care.
CVS Caremark said MinuteClinic and St. Vincent’s Health System will begin to work toward fully integrating their electronic medical record systems to streamline communication around all aspects of each individual’s care. With patient permission, each St. Vincent’s Health System-affiliated MinuteClinic will share medical history and visit summaries with other St. Vincent’s HealthCare locations in Jacksonville. In the meantime, MinuteClinic will continue its standard practice of sending visit summaries via fax or mail, typically within 24 hours.
"Our team of MinuteClinic nurse practitioners looks forward to working with St. Vincent’s family physicians to expand access to high-quality, affordable health care services to patients in Florida and Georgia," stated Andrew Sussman, president of MinuteClinic and senior vice president and associate chief medical officer at CVS Caremark. "As we have experienced in other parts of the country, strategic clinical affiliations between MinuteClinic and major health systems such as St. Vincent’s can help to enhance the delivery of health care services in a convenient and accessible setting."
MinuteClinic has seven walk-in health clinics inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in Jacksonville, Macclenny, Orange Park and St. Augustine, Fla. The St. Vincent’s HealthCare system serves northeast Florida and southeast Georgia and includes St. Vincent’s Medical Center, St. Luke’s Hospital, St. Vincent’s Primary Care and St. Catherine Laboure Manor.
"Patients are demanding better access to primary care services," commented Moody Chisholm, chief executive of St. Vincent’s HealthCare. "This partnership will help our two great organizations deliver that to people in Jacksonville and southeast Georgia."
