MinuteClinic, University of Oklahoma Physicians form clinical collaboration

WOONSOCKET, R.I., and OKLAHOMA CITY— MinuteClinic and OU Physicians, Oklahoma's largest physician group with more than 560 doctors, have entered into a clinical affiliation to enhance access to healthcare services in Oklahoma.



The agreement includes four MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in Edmond, Moore, Mustang and Norman.



Under the agreement, OU Physicians doctors will serve as medical directors for MinuteClinic locations in Oklahoma. In addition, MinuteClinic and OU Physicians will collaborate on patient education and disease management initiatives and will inform patients of the services each offer. OU Physicians will accept patients who need a level of care that is not provided at MinuteClinic. Signage at MinuteClinic locations will inform patients that each site has a clinical affiliation with OU Physicians.



"MinuteClinic shares OU Physicians' commitment to clinical quality and expanding access to care to patients throughout central Oklahoma," stated Andrew Sussman, president, MinuteClinic and SVP/associate chief medical officer of CVS Caremark. "We look forward to collaborating with their doctors who will provide quality oversight, teaching and back-up so MinuteClinic can provide the best care to Oklahomans at the lowest overall cost."



MinuteClinic and OU Physicians will begin to work toward fully integrating electronic medical record systems to streamline communication around all aspects of their patients' care. With patient permission, MinuteClinic will electronically share medical histories and visit summaries with other OU Physicians locations in the state. 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.



"At OU Physicians, we are committed to providing high-quality health care to Oklahomans, and in today's rapidly changing healthcare environment, it is critical to explore smart, innovative ways to improve our citizens' access to necessary treatments and preventive care," stated Brian Maddy, CEO of OU Physicians. "By joining forces with MinuteClinic and sharing our expertise, we can deliver much-needed care to a larger population of patients and make sure more Oklahomans get the resources they need to lead healthier lives. We are very excited about the collaboration and the positive results it will produce."

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