DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance and VillageMD will open 29 Village Medical at Walgreens clinics in Houston, Austin and El Paso this year. The partners are on track to meet their overall goal of opening at least 600 of the full-service clinics in more than 30 U.S. markets over the next four years, with the intent to build hundreds more thereafter. The expansion is part of a $1 billion accelerated investment effort — announced in January — to deliver high quality healthcare to patients, with Village Medical primary care physicians and Walgreens pharmacy services through an integrated care delivery model.

“This strategic partnership between Walgreens and VillageMD demonstrates our continuing commitment to the care and well-being of our patients, and we’re excited to expand our primary care and pharmacy service offerings in Texas,” said Jamie Vortherms, vice president of healthcare services at Walgreens. “With the opening of these Village Medical at Walgreens locations, we’re providing convenient access to personalized, high quality and coordinated care.”

Leveraging the physician and pharmacist under one roof enables patients to benefit from improved health outcomes and lowered cost of care. This helps patients take the right medication and the right doses at the right time, and removes barriers to accessing primary care and pharmacy by having them in one place.

In Austin, El Paso and Houston, there are more than 825,000 patients within five miles of a new or planned Village Medical at Walgreens who are over 65 years old, which further underscores the need for quality, accessible healthcare.1

“With Village Medical primary care services and Walgreens pharmacy services delivered through an integrated care model, we’re facilitating regular and direct communication with patients, helping deliver improved health outcomes and affordable care,” said Dr. Clive Fields, cofounder and chief medical officer of VillageMD. “We’re pleased to expand these offerings in Texas so residents can manage their chronic conditions and focus on being healthy, active members of their community.”

Additionally, the companies have expanded their coordinated care model to allow Village Medical patients to access the same type of pharmacy services — including between-visit refills, medication substitutions, and comprehensive consultations — from select Walgreens sites that do not have a co-located Village Medical. This program has launched at all co-locations and is launching at nine non-co-locations in the Houston and Phoenix areas. With Walgreens being able to digitally access information from Village Medical, patients can receive the same type of coordinated care as they would at co-locations, including saving time on prescription refills, navigating insurance coverage, finding less expensive medication alternatives and managing co-pay costs.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted numerous barriers to accessing care, including the various difficulties patients face when navigating an already complex healthcare environment. The care offered by the Village Medical at Walgreens integrated model is now more important than ever, especially for patients with chronic conditions. Six in ten Americans live with at least one chronic condition, with many needing multiple daily medications. In Texas, chronic diseases continue to make up the top three causes of death, underscoring the importance of a streamlined approach for patients to receive coordinated, cost-effective and convenient healthcare.

Village Medical at Walgreens locations accept a wide range of health insurance options, offering cost-effective and comprehensive primary care and coordinated pharmacy services to meet the full continuum of healthcare needs. Patients may access care and support through in-person, at-home and telehealth visits.

To learn more about the Village Medical at Walgreens services and locations in Texas, please visit https://www.villagemedical.com/locations/texas.