MinuteClinic CEO to Speak at Forum on Retail Health Clinics in New York

ALBANY, N.Y., Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- MinuteClinic (www.minuteclinic.com), the pioneer and largest provider of retail-based health care in the United States, announced Chief Executive Officer Michael Howe will be presenting at the New York Health Plan Association (NYPHA) "Medicine in a Minute" forum on retail medicine today at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Turf (205 Wolf Rd., Albany). The forum on retail medicine will look at trends in the United States, and what they mean for health care in New York State.

Mr. Howe will discuss the MinuteClinic model for affordable access to quality healthcare and address recent MinuteClinic research examining New York residents' views on access to health care. The survey found:

    --  32% of New Yorkers have gone to the Emergency Room for a common
        illness because they could not get an appointment with a primary care
        physician
    --  23% of New Yorkers have had to wait two or more days to be treated by
        their doctors for a common illness
    --  32% of New Yorkers have put off seeking care for a common illness so
        they did not have to take time off work
    --  75% of New Yorkers said retail clinics in their neighborhood would
        give them better access to quality health care

"Our research shows that without convenient access, many New York residents delay care for common illnesses or visit the emergency room," said Mr. Howe. "Retail clinics can reduce the burden on the state's health care system by offering affordable, quality health care for minor ailments where and when patients need it."

MinuteClinic currently operates seven retail clinics in New York, offering treatment for common illnesses. MinuteClinic launched the first retail health care centers in the United States in 2000 and is the first provider to establish a national presence with more than 280 locations in 23 states across the country. MinuteClinic health care centers are staffed by board-certified family nurse practitioners and physician assistants who are trained to diagnose, treat and write prescriptions (when clinically appropriate) for common illnesses, such as strep throat and ear, eye, sinus, and bronchial infections.

Every MinuteClinic patient assessment and treatment follows nationally established clinical practice guidelines from the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics that are embedded in MinuteClinic's electronic medical records system. The company has generated over a million patient visits with a 99 percent customer satisfaction rating.

MinuteClinic nurse practitioners make it a point to stress the importance of a regular medical "home" with every patient they see. If a patient doesn't have a primary care physician, MinuteClinic will provide a list of physicians in the area who are accepting new patients. MinuteClinic will also provide a record of the visit to a patient's primary care provider (so long as the patient consents) to facilitate continuity of care.