[NPInfo] I love this stuff

[David Mittman]

What is an "advanced nurse practitioner"?
DNP??    :=)


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Wednesday, Aug 6, 2008
Posted on Wed, Aug. 06, 2008
3 clinics open in local Walgreens
BY ANDI ATWATER
The Wichita Eagle
3 more planned for later this year
Walgreens opened three Take Care Clinics in its drugstores across  
Wichita on Tuesday.
The retail health clinics -- near West and Central, Harry and  
Edgemoor, and 21st and Webb Road -- are the first of six walk-in  
clinics Walgreens plans to open here by the end of the year.
The drugstore giant becomes the first national retailer to bring its  
in-store, walk-in clinics to the Wichita market, beating out other  
retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kroger and Target, which are launching  
similar clinics in other states.
"We are thrilled to open Take Care Clinics in Wichita, and are anxious  
to meet the needs of patients and work in collaboration with the  
medical community," said Nancy Zaner, Take Care Health regional lead  
nurse practitioner.
Take Care Health Systems, which manages the clinics, now has 15  
clinics in the region, including 12 in the Kansas City metro area,  
Walgreens officials said.
The drugstore plans to open more clinics in the Kansas City area with  
a launch in Topeka later this year.
Walgreens operates 197 clinics in 14 states and plans to have 400 open  
by the end of 2008, officials said.
The Wichita clinics will be open seven days a week with weekday hours  
extending into the early evening.
The clinics offer medical treatment by an advanced nurse practitioner  
who is authorized to diagnose and treat minor illnesses and injuries,  
such as ear infections and bronchitis, officials said.
The clinics take most insurance. For the uninsured or cash payers,  
prices average $59 to $74 a visit and are listed on clinic sign-in  
kiosks, officials said.
"Our goal is to provide an exceptional health care experience through  
our professional exam rooms, patient registration technology and  
follow-up phone call the next day from a Take Care nurse  
practitioner," Zaner said. "We enjoy taking care of the local  
communities where we have clinics, to get patients the care they need,  
when they need it."
Walgreens has estimated that as many as 30 percent of its Take Care  
patients are referred to primary-care doctors, and officials said they  
work with physicians in every market to establish a referral list.