Walgreens and SSM Health have signed an agreement for SSM Health to own and operate 27 retail health clinics within Walgreens stores across the St. Louis region, including four clinics in Illinois, that will operate seven days a week, including evenings.
The clinics will transition to SSM Health this fall, at which time the clinics will become an extension of the SSM Health Medical Group. Upon transition, the sites will be renamed SSM Health Express Clinic at Walgreens.
As part of the agreement, Walgreens and SSM Health will form a joint council to share best practices and experiences that improve patient care, quality and satisfaction while reducing health care costs.
“This demonstrates the value of deeper health system collaborations which can facilitate the transition of retail health clinics from urgent, episodic care to more coordinated care,” said Pat Carroll, MD, chief medical officer for Walgreens Healthcare Clinics.
