MinuteClinic Signs Clinical Collaboration with Atlantic Health System for Clinic Locations in Five-County Region of Northern and Central New Jersey

WOONSOCKET, R.I. and MORRISTOWN, N.J., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MinuteClinic, the retail health care division of CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) and Atlantic Health System, one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey comprised of Morristown Medical Center, Goryeb Children's Hospital, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N.J. and Newton Medical Center have entered into a clinical affiliation to enhance access to high quality, affordable health care services in Northern and Central New Jersey.

The agreement includes nine MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics open seven days a week inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Union counties and parts of Essex county. The clinics are staffed by nurse practitioners who provide treatment for common family illnesses and administer wellness and prevention services, including health condition monitoring.

Under the agreement, Atlantic Health System physicians will serve as medical directors for MinuteClinic locations in Northern and Central New Jersey.  In addition, MinuteClinic and Atlantic Health System will collaborate on patient education and disease management initiatives and will inform patients of the services each offers.  Atlantic Health System 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 Atlantic Health System.

"Our affiliation with Atlantic Health System will help MinuteClinic make the best use of our clinics in Northern and Central New Jersey to offer better access to high quality health care services and to lower costs for patients and employers," said Andrew Sussman, M.D., President, MinuteClinic and Senior Vice President/Associate Chief Medical Officer, CVS Caremark.  "We look forward to having Atlantic Health System's physicians collaborate with our practitioners to provide quality oversight, teaching and back-up so we can provide the best care at the lowest overall cost."

MinuteClinic and Atlantic Health System will begin to work toward fully integrating electronic medical record systems to streamline communication around all aspects of each individual's care.  With patient permission, MinuteClinic will electronically share medical histories and visit summaries with other Atlantic Health System locations in Northern and Central New Jersey.  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.

"Atlantic Health System is committed to improving the health of our communities," said Joseph Trunfio, President and CEO of Atlantic Health System. "By providing access to our physicians' expertise through MinuteClinic services, we can help members of the community to lead healthier lives, in a new, innovative way."

MinuteClinic practitioners specialize in family health care and can diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common illnesses such as strep throat and ear, eye, sinus, bladder and bronchial infections. Minor wounds, abrasions, skin conditions and joint sprains are treated, and common vaccinations such as influenza, tetanus, pneumonia, pertussis and Hepatitis A & B are available at most locations. Walk-in camp, sports and college physicals for adolescents are available daily. In addition, MinuteClinic administers a series of wellness services designed to help consumers identify lifestyle changes needed to improve their current and future health, including screenings and monitoring for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

No appointments are required at MinuteClinic and most health insurance is accepted. Clinics in New Jersey are open Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

About Atlantic Health System  
Atlantic Health System is one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey, comprised of Morristown Medical Center, Goryeb Children's Hospital, Overlook Medical Center in Summit and Newtown Medical Center.  The four medical facilities have a combined total of 1,310 licensed beds and more than 2,852 affiliated physicians providing a wide array of health care services to the residents of Northern and Central New Jersey. The medical centers, and Goryeb as part of MMC, are accredited by The Joint Commission. Specialty service areas include advanced cardiovascular care, pediatric medical and surgical specialties, neurology, orthopedics and sports medicine.  Each of these programs has earned top ratings and recognitions in their respective fields. Atlantic Health System is the official health care partner of the New York Jets and an official health care provider of the New Jersey Devils.

Atlantic Health System has been chosen for the past four consecutive years by FORTUNE® as one of the magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For®." The organization has also been recognized five times by AARP as one of the "Best Employers for Workers over 50." Inside Jersey magazine partnered with Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. and ranked Morristown Medical Center the top hospital in New Jersey for the second consecutive year, while also naming it the No. 1 hospital for coronary surgery, treatment of heart failure, hip and knee repair, and pediatric cancers. Overlook Medical Center was rated the No. 1 hospital in NJ for the treatment of neurological diseases for the third consecutive year, and for the second year as No. 1 for treating strokes. It was also ranked among the top three hospitals across several categories, including overall quality, high-risk pregnancies, hip and knee repair, and prostate and breast cancer treatment. Newton Medical Center was voted the state's No. 1 hospital with 350 beds or fewer, and also ranked first in this category for the treatment of pediatric, prostate and breast cancers.

Atlantic Health System is a Major Clinical Research Affiliate with The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and is the primary academic and clinical affiliate in New Jersey of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and The Mount Sinai Hospital.  

About MinuteClinic
MinuteClinic is a division of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States. MinuteClinic launched the first retail medical clinics in the United States in 2000 and is the largest provider of retail clinics with more than 600 locations in 25 states and the District of Columbia. By creating a health care delivery model that responds to consumer demand, MinuteClinic makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more Americans. Nationally, the company has generated more than 12 million patient visits, with a 95% customer satisfaction rating.  MinuteClinic is the first retail health care provider to receive accreditation (2006) and reaccreditation (2009) from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.MinuteClinic.com.

SOURCE MinuteClinic

Carolyn Castel, +1-401-770-5717, CVS Caremark, ccastel@cvs.com; Brent Burkhardt, +1-410-986-1303, TBC (for MinuteClinic), bburkhardt@tbc.us; Rob Seman, +1-973-660-3145, Atlantic Health System, robert.seman@atlantichealth.org