MinuteClinic Opens Its First Walk-in Medical Clinics Inside Chicagoland Target Stores

WOONSOCKET, R.I., April 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic of CVS Health, has opened its first locations inside Target stores in the Chicago area. The clinics located in 13 stores in Cook (including the city of Chicago), DuPage, Kane and Lake Counties have been rebranded and converted to MinuteClinic. There are now 56 MinuteClinic locations in Chicagoland, including clinics in CVS Pharmacy stores. Chicago is MinuteClinic's largest metropolitan market in the United States.

"The new MinuteClinic locations inside Target will offer the same scope of services available to patients at all our other clinics in Illinois and nationwide," said Andrew Sussman, M.D., President of CVS MinuteClinic, and Executive Vice President and Associate Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health. "In addition, some services will be new to Target guests, including treatment for minor sprains and strains, contraceptive care, smoking cessation counseling, and weight loss assessment and coaching."

MinuteClinic is open seven days a week and no appointment is necessary. Patients can also hold a place in line by going to www.minuteclinic.com and selecting the clinic they plan to visit that day. Most major health insurance is accepted. For patients paying cash or credit, treatment prices are posted at each clinic and at www.minuteclinic.com.

Nurse practitioners at MinuteClinic specialize in family health care and can diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common family illnesses such as strep throat; ear, eye, sinus, bladder and bronchial infections; nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; heartburn and indigestion. Minor wounds, abrasions, skin conditions, sprains and strains are treated, and common vaccinations such as influenza, tetanus, pneumonia and Hepatitis A & B are available at most locations.

Prevention and wellness services include screening and monitoring for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, tuberculosis (TB) testing, contraceptive care, motion sickness prevention, smoking cessation and weight loss management in partnership with the Dash for Health^tm program.

At the conclusion of each visit, patients receive educational material, a prescription (when clinically appropriate) and a visit summary. A copy of the diagnostic record can be sent electronically, or by fax or mail, to a primary care provider with patient permission.

With the new MinuteClinic in Target locations, Sussman says MinuteClinic can continue to play a complementary role in working with primary care providers.

MinuteClinic locations in Chicagoland are affiliated with Rush University Medical Center and University of Chicago Medical Center.

"About 50 percent of MinuteClinic visits occur on evenings, weekends and holidays when patients may not be able to get an appointment with their primary care provider and otherwise may need to choose more expensive emergency department or urgent care options," he said. "Also, approximately half of the patients seen at MinuteClinic are 'medically homeless' and do not have a personal physician."

In December 2015, CVS Health acquired all Target pharmacies (1,672 locations across 47 states) and retail clinics (79 locations in seven states). Target-based pharmacy locations are being rebranded CVS Pharmacy over the next several months and will operate through a store-within-a-store format. Target clinic locations are being rebranded as MinuteClinic over the next few months as well.

The MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics inside Target stores in Chicagoland operate from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

MinuteClinic locations inside Chicagoland Target stores include:

Broadview: 800 Broadview Village Sq.

About MinuteClinic

MinuteClinic is the retail medical clinic of CVS Health (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 1,100 locations in 33 states and the District of Columbia. By creating a health care delivery model that responds to patient demand, MinuteClinic makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more Americans. Nationally, the company has provided care through more than 30 million patient visits, with a 95 percent customer satisfaction rating. MinuteClinic is the only retail health care provider to receive four consecutive accreditations from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.minuteclinic.com.