MinuteClinic opens its doors in Sacramento area

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The first MinuteClinic locations in the Sacramento metropolitan area opened their doors on Wednesday inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in Sacramento and Elk Grove. A third clinic is slated to open in Fair Oaks in October.



With the openings, there are now more than 50 MinuteClinic locations in the Golden State in the San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County/Inland Empire and Bay Area markets. The first clinics opened in Southern California in 2007.

Nationwide, CVS Caremark’s MinuteClinic has more than 850 clinics in 29 states and the District of Columbia.



Most major health insurance is accepted, including some of the plans offered to employees and retirees from local schools, agencies and California state government through the California Public Employees' Retirement System.



"The addition of these new clinics in the Sacramento market expands MinuteClinic's presence in Northern California following the Bay Area launch in fall 2013," said Andrew Sussman, president of MinuteClinic and SVP/associate chief medical officer of CVS Caremark. "There is a need for more accessible and affordable health care in California, and the demand for MinuteClinic services will grow due, in part, to the shortage of primary care physicians, the aging Baby Boomer population and the influx of newly insured patients through the Affordable Care Act."



Sussman noted that MinuteClinic is committed to helping patients find a medical home and believes it can play a complementary role in working with primary care providers.



"About 50% of MinuteClinic visits occur on evenings, weekends and holidays when patients may not be able to get an appointment with their primary care provider," Sussman said. "And about half of the patients seen at  MinuteClinic are 'medically homeless' and do not have a personal physician."



Patients who visit MinuteClinic without a primary care provider are provided a list of physicians in the area who are accepting new patients.