Clinic climb: Substantial growth predicted for 2012


NEW YORK — MinuteClinic is on track to double its clinic count in the coming years, posting a 40% revenue increase in the fourth quarter and inking 14 affiliations with health systems. This is no doubt an impressive feat for the clinic operator, but it also speaks to a larger growth trend sweeping the convenient care industry.


Merchant Medicine recently released its 2012 market forecast, which projects a minimum of 10% growth in 2012 in the number of retail clinics. The growth is fueled, in part, by the emergence of care management programs around chronic diseases, and operators like MinuteClinic, Take Care Clinic and The Little Clinic are putting programs in place.


“We are definitely seeing more activity around chronic disease management,” said Tom Charland, CEO of Merchant Medicine.


He added, “I think there’s more confidence and security in the business model that is causing more partnerships to happen between people like MinuteClinic and other health systems. … Those are all laying the groundwork for population management and accountable care organizations, moving some of these less serious illnesses and injuries to a more appropriate location.”