MinuteClinic forms clinical collaboration with UCLA Health System
WOONSOCKET, R.I., and LOS ANGELES — MinuteClinic has entered into a clinical affiliation with the UCLA Health System to enhance patient access to high-quality, affordable healthcare services in Los Angeles County.
Under the agreement, UCLA Health System physicians will serve as medical directors for 11 MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics open seven days a week inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in Los Angeles County, and the clinics will boast signage to inform patients that the site has a clinical affiliation at UCLA. As part of the partnership, MinuteClinic and UCLA Health System will collaborate on patient education and disease management initiatives and will inform patients of the services each offer. In addition, MinuteClinic said UCLA Health System will provide care to patients who need a level of care that is not provided among MinuteClinic standard services.
MinuteClinic and UCLA Health System also said it will begin to work toward fully integrating electronic medical record systems to streamline communication around all aspects of each individual's care. With patient permission, MinuteClinic will electronically share medical histories and visit summaries with other UCLA Health System locations. In the meantime, MinuteClinic will continue its standard practice of sending patient visit summaries to primary care providers via fax or mail, typically within 24 hours, the retail clinic operator noted.
"UCLA's international reputation for clinical quality and nearly 60 years of experience in serving the residents of Los Angeles County at the highest level of patient satisfaction were important factors in our decision to affiliate," said Andrew Sussman, MinuteClinic president and SVP/associate chief medical officer for CVS Caremark. "We look forward to having UCLA physicians collaborate with our practitioners to provide quality oversight, teaching and back-up so we can provide the best care at the lowest overall cost."
No appointments are required at MinuteClinic and most health insurance is accepted. Clinics in Los Angeles County are open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Burbank clinic is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays); Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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