Walgreens, VillageMD bring clinics to Tucson, Ariz.
Walgreens Boots Alliance and VillageMD announced plans to open eight new Village Medical at Walgreens coordinated primary care and pharmacy practices in the Tucson area in 2022, with the first opening on Feb. 8 at 7885 E. Speedway Blvd.
These openings represent expansion into the second major market in Arizona, following Phoenix, and add to the growing number of locations in the state.
“By combining VillageMD’s expertise in primary care with Walgreens community presence and experienced pharmacy team, we’re able to better serve patients and make healthcare more accessible,” said Roseanna Nicoletti, M.D., a local Tucson physician at Village Medical. “This collaborative approach allows us to spend more time focused on providing high-quality care for patients and less time on administrative tasks.”
[Read more: Walgreens, VillageMD expand clinics into Tampa, Fla.]
Village Medical at Walgreens practices in the Tucson area will create 285 full-time jobs and employ 140 STEM professionals, such as physicians, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants, the companies said.
Through the Walgreens and VillageMD coordinated care model, patients can receive care for chronic health conditions, as well as preventive services and treatment for everyday illnesses and injuries. Physicians and pharmacists collaborate closely to fill prescriptions immediately following medical visits, often at the same location, and ensure patients have ongoing access to support that helps them get and stay healthy.
“Tucson residents, and particularly patients who need ongoing care for chronic health conditions, will benefit from the collaboration between the primary care and pharmacy teams,” said Joseph Backlund, Walgreens pharmacist in the Tucson area. “Working with VillageMD physicians, Walgreens pharmacists can help ensure patients have continuous access to care and medication support and resources when and how they need it.”
[Read more: Walgreens making major investment in VillageMD]
More than 3 million Arizonans live in an area that does not have enough doctors to meet the medical needs of the people who live there, the company noted. If current trends continue, the projected medical and productivity cost of chronic disease in 2030 is $8,200 per Arizona resident. Creating greater access to primary care provides residents better health outcomes in addition to expanded opportunities to interact with healthcare professionals.
VillageMD and Walgreens plan to open more than 200 Village Medical at Walgreens practices by the end of the year, including 81 locations that have already opened across 11 markets in Arizona, Florida, Texas, Kentucky and Indiana.
WBA recently announced an increased investment in VillageMD to advance its strategic position in the delivery of value-based primary care. The investment will accelerate the opening of more than 600 Village Medical at Walgreens primary care and pharmacy practices in more than 30 U.S. markets by 2025 and 1,000 by 2027, with more than half of those practices in medically underserved communities.
Village Medical at Walgreens locations accept a wide range of health insurance options including Medicaid and Medicare in participating markets.