MinuteClinic Receives JCAHO Accreditation

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MinuteClinic, the industry leader and largest U.S. provider of retail-based health care, announced today that it has become the first to achieve accreditation for their retail sites from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

JCAHO is the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including hospitals, hospice services, nursing homes, laboratories, rehabilitation centers and behavioral health care organizations. This is the first ever JCAHO accreditation for a retail-based health care provider.

"Joint Commission accreditation sets MinuteClinic apart," says Michael Kulczycki, executive director, Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program, Joint Commission. "Organizations awarded this Gold Seal of Approval(TM) dedicate themselves to continuous operational improvement."

MinuteClinic locations, which are staffed by certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants, offer treatment for common family illnesses, such as strep throat, ear infections, poison ivy and pink eye. They also provide some common vaccinations.

"This certification is further confirmation and recognition that MinuteClinic is consistently delivering the highest possible quality health care to patients in communities throughout the country," said Michael C. Howe, MinuteClinic President and Chief Executive Officer. "As the first retail-based health care provider to achieve the gold standard in accreditation, we are committed to assuring patients the highest possible quality of care."

The Joint Commission's state-of-the-art standards focus on patient safety and quality of care, and are updated regularly to reflect the rapid advances in health care and medicine. The JCAHO certification signifies that MinuteClinic complies with more than 180 national standards in the implementation of established clinical practice guidelines, as well as more than 500 performance measurements.

"Our focus is on offering an appropriate and well-defined set of services, allowing us to deliver high-quality care for simple conditions, which can be diagnosed and treated using evidence-based guidelines," said MinuteClinic Chief Medical Officer James Woodburn, MD. "The JCAHO accreditation confirms our high standard of medical service."

In May, MinuteClinic established its National Clinical Quality Advisory Council, a panel that brings together preeminent recognized health care leaders from a variety of specialties and backgrounds to contribute clinical guidance and continuous quality improvement ideas to MinuteClinic services. MinuteClinic services are a complement, not a replacement, to primary care providers. In fact, MinuteClinic emphasizes the importance of all patients having a medical home, and maintains a record of primary care practices that are accepting new patients and provides lists to patients who do not have one. With every patient they see, MinuteClinic nurse practitioners and physician assistants stress that patients should obtain a regular medical exam provided by their primary care provider.

For most customers, MinuteClinic will accept the office visit co-pay indicated on their health insurance card. Customers paying cash or credit will find treatment prices posted outside each health care center. Most treatments at MinuteClinic cost between $49 and $59.

MinuteClinic has 91 locations in 12 states. MinuteClinic health care centers are located in the following metro areas: Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Columbus, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, Orlando, Providence, Raleigh-Durham, Seattle, Stamford, Conn., and the Maryland area markets of the Nation's Capital.

About MinuteClinic

MinuteClinic, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVS Corporation (NYSE: CVS), was founded in May 2000. The Minneapolis-based company has provided more than 550,000 patient visits with a 99 percent customer satisfaction rating. It has produced substantial savings of health care expenditures and also reduced the time spent by patients seeking treatment for conditions it addresses. For more information, visit http://www.minuteclinic.com.