Cleveland Clinic, OhioHealth partner with CVS retail clinic

As one possible solution to the national primary care physician shortage, leading health system Cleveland Clinic announced it is partnering with CVS's MinuteClinic in Florida. Cleveland Clinic Florida family physicians will serve as medical directors at 12 CVS MinuteClinic walk-in clinics and provide consults for the nurse practitioners on staff there.

Retail clinics, such as those offered by CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Target, are an alternative to primary care. Supporters tout them as a convenient way to provide immediate care for patients who do not otherwise have a primary care physician or can't get an appointment with their existing physician. CVS's MinuteClinics are open seven days a week, and there is no appointment necessary.

"What is exciting about this partnership is that it gives us the opportunity to explore new ways to deliver patient care and manage chronic conditions," said Eduardo Oliveira, MD, chairman of the division of medicine at Cleveland Clinic Florida, in a statement.

MinuteClinic was the first retail healthcare provider to receive accreditation and reaccreditation by The Joint Commission and has 500 locations in the country, according to the statement.

In addition, Cleveland Clinic Florida and MinuteClinic will work toward information sharing of patient medical histories and visit summaries.

"We look forward to working with one of the world's top medical institutions to expand access to high quality care in South Florida and deliver positive health outcomes to thousands of patients in the region," said Andrew Sussman, MD, president of MinuteClinic and senior vice president and associate chief medical officer of CVS Caremark, in the statement. "Cleveland Clinic family physicians will be a valuable resource for our nurse practitioners, and we hope to collaborate on a number of initiatives spanning from patient wellness to information connectivity among our clinical practice sites."

Cleveland Clinic and CVS already collaborate at 10 locations in northeast Ohio. Meanwhile, OhioHealth this week also announced a partnership with CVS in which OhioHealth physicians similarly will serve as medical directors of seven CVS clinics, according to the Columbus Business First.

To learn more:
- read the CVS press release
- check out the Columbus Business First article