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DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co.’s Healthcare Clinics has affiliated with Orlando Health, a central Florida health care group, to provide coordinated care and expanded health services.
Walgreens said Wednesday that the clinical collaboration includes 13 Healthcare Clinics in Walgreens drug stores in Florida cities including Orlando, Kissimmee, Apopka, Winter Springs, Clermont, Lake Buena Vista, Lake Mary, Winter Park and Windermere.
The clinical affiliation will provide greater access to care, with Healthcare Clinics offering evening and weekend hours, convenient locations and online appointment scheduling, according to Walgreens. The partnership also will enable coordination of care for Orlando Health patients with Healthcare Clinic providers for acute, chronic and preventive services, as well as direct communication between Orlando Health doctors and Healthcare Clinic nurse practitioners to facilitate care coordination and sharing of patient information.
In addition, Orlando Health and Healthcare Clinic will promote patient awareness of each other’s services, such as routine screening, monitoring, immunizations, and clinic locations and hours.
"In today’s health care landscape, these types of innovative coordinated care programs are vitally important to help ensure patients have access to the quality care they need," Jeffrey Kang, senior vice president of health and wellness services and solutions at Walgreens, said in a statement. "With our expansive retail footprint, diverse portfolio of health care assets and proven success in collaborating with others in the medical community, Walgreens is uniquely positioned to bridge critical gaps in care and improve patient outcomes."
Walgreens and Orlando Health also aim to share electronic medical records, with the goal of developing read-only access to real-time patient medical information. The effort also may include the creation of online or call center appointment scheduling technology to enhance patient access to services.
"By utilizing new approaches, such as this relationship with Walgreens, we’ll be able to better reach and treat the patients of central Florida," stated Wayne Jenkins, president of Orlando Health Physician Partners. "This relationship represents the type of collaborative strategies that we view as essential in the emerging health care environment. We’re confident that, by working together, our two organizations can help ensure that patients are receiving the best care, in the best locations, as well as a truly seamless care experience."
Orlando Health has six wholly owned hospitals and two partnership hospitals throughout central Florida, a skilled nursing facility and Physician Associates, one of the area’s largest multi-specialty physician practices, with more than 90 doctors in over 20 locations, along with more than 2,500 affiliated physicians.
"Orlando Health is an established health care leader in central Florida, and its integrated approach to improving the community’s health is a great strategic fit for Walgreens and our mission," Kang added.
