The retail health care division of CVS Caremark, MinuteClinic, and UCLA Health System announced a clinical affiliation, according to UCLA Health Sciences. UCLA Health System physicians will serve as medical directors for 11 MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics open seven days a week inside CVS/pharmacy stores in Los Angeles County, according to a release by UCLA Health Sciences. MinuteClinics are staffed by nurse practitioners. The 11 clinics will be in Agoura, Arcadia, Burbank, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Marina del Rey, Montrose, Pomona, Reseda, Sherman Oaks and Torrance. “UCLA’s international reputation for clinical quality and nearly 60 years of experience in serving the residents of Los Angeles County at the highest level of patient satisfaction were important factors in our decision to affiliate,” said Andrew Sussman, M.D., president of MinuteClinic and senior vice president/associate chief medical officer of CVS Caremark in a statement. “We look forward to having UCLA physicians collaborate with our practitioners to provide quality oversight, teaching and back-up so we can provide the best care at the lowest overall cost.” The aim of the affiliation is to enhance access to high quality, affordable health care services in L.A. County, UCLA said. MinuteClinic and UCLA Health System will also start to integrate electronic medical record systems to streamline communication for all aspects of care, according to UCLA. With patient permission, MinuteClinic will electronically share medical histories and visit summaries with other UCLA Health System locations. “UCLA Health System’s purpose is to heal humankind one patient at a time and our commitment is to improve the health of our communities by exploring new and innovative ways to deliver patient care and manage chronic conditions,” said Dr. David Feinberg, president of UCLA Health System and associate vice chancellor. “By providing access to our physicians’ expertise through MinuteClinic services, we can help members of the community to lead healthier lives.” MinuteClinic has around 600 locations in 25 states and the District of Columbia. Leah Gillis
