WOONSOCKET, R.I. — MinuteClinic has entered a clinical collaboration with Florida Hospital Medical Group to provide expanded access to health care services in central Florida.
Under the clinical affiliation agreement, Florida Hospital Medical Group doctors will serve as medical directors for a dozen MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics in CVS/pharmacy drug stores in Orlando, Fla., and Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk and Seminole counties. MinuteClinic is the retail health clinic subsidiary of CVS Caremark Corp.
Plans also call for MinuteClinic and Florida Hospital Medical Group to collaborate on patient education and disease management. Florida Hospital Medical Group and Florida Hospital will accept patients requiring a level of care outside the scope of MinuteClinic’s walk-in services for common family illnesses and wellness and prevention services, which include health condition monitoring.
"MinuteClinic joins Florida Hospital Medical Group in its commitment to help patients remain healthy by making high-quality, cost-effective medical care more accessible in central Florida," MinuteClinic president Andrew Sussman, who’s also senior vice president/associate chief medical officer at CVS Caremark, said in a statement. "Florida Hospital has a long tradition of forging successful community partnerships, and we look forward to having their physicians collaborate with our nurse practitioners to provide quality oversight, teaching and backup so we can provide the best care at the lowest overall cost."
MinuteClinic and Florida Hospital Medical Group also will integrate electronic medical record systems to facilitate communication on patient care.
Florida Hospital Medical Group is central Florida’s largest multispecialty physician group, with more than 110 physician practice locations and 41 medical specialties, caring for nearly 1 million patients a year. The group’s 290 doctors are affiliated with Florida Hospital, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit hospitals.
"Our goal is to supplement the efficient and convenient care already provided by MinuteClinic with additional support and clinical expertise, which will improve primary care access for our community and expand our continuum of care," stated Neil Finkler, Florida Hospital Medical Group’s chief medical officer. "This partnership will streamline patient care communication and facilitate access to FHMG practitioners for patients in need of further medical care."
