CVS Health reaches milestone in retail clinic expansion

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — MinuteClinic, the walk-in medical clinic segment of CVS Health, has opened its 1,000th location nationwide.

CVS said its newest clinic opened its doors Thursday on Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C.

“This 1,000th clinic milestone reflects our commitment to expand much needed access to health care across the United States,” MinuteClinic president Andrew Sussman said in a statement. “Whether it’s treating patients in urban centers like Washington, D.C,. or developing new ways to deliver care in other settings, the MinuteClinic mission to provide accessible health care will continue to evolve.”

MinuteClinic is the nation’s largest operator of retail clinics. This year, MinuteClinic is slated to open more than 100 new locations and, by 2017, expects to have over 1,500 retail health clinics.

That growth will come in current markets and new areas, according to CVS. Over the past year or so, markets where MinuteClinic opened its first clinics include Topeka, Kan.; Rhode Island; Memphis, Tenn.; St. Louis; and Washington state. It currently serves 31 states and the District of Columbia.

Since opening the first walk-in retail clinic 15 years ago, MinuteClinic has provided care through more than 26 million patient visits. It passed the 25 million mark for patient visits in May. For most patients and services, MinuteClinic accepts health care insurance. It’s now in network with more than 300 insurance carriers offering multiple plans nationwide.

CVS noted that MinuteClinic also was the first retail medical clinic to be fully accredited by the Joint Commission, the accrediting agency for more than 20,000 hospitals and health systems and related organizations.

“In the years ahead, we intend to offer new and innovative medical services to patients through in-store clinics, expanded telehealth services and clinical collaborations with a growing list of more than 60 major health care system affiliates nationwide,” added Sussman, who’s also executive vice president and associate chief medical officer for CVS Health.