Supermarkets next in-store offering: medical care

Photo | Contributed A FastCare clinic in Fairfield.

Dr. Adam Silverman, Director of Primary Care at Saint Francis

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By Becky Bergman

Big-box chain stores have given flu shots and treated runny noses for years, but one Connecticut grocer will up its retail game this fall when St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center opens new FastCare clinics in two local Stop & Shop Supermarkets.

St. Francis will open FastCare centers in Simsbury and Manchester by the end of October, which will be the first Central Connecticut primary care clinics located within a supermarket.

The FastCare clinics stem from an agreement between Bellin Health and Ahold USA Inc., parent company of Stop & Shop, to operate quick-access medical centers at its grocery stores.

Bellin Health, a not-for-profit, developed the FastCare brand in 2006. The organization partners with health systems like St. Francis and retailers nationwide to offer community medical services. Currently, there are 30 FastCare locations operating in 10 states with 20 health system partners.

“St. Francis FastCare will provide enhanced access to high-quality healthcare services to area residents at locations that are convenient to them for those minor illnesses that can be diagnosed and treated quickly,” said Christopher Dadlez, president and CEO at St. Francis.

The new clinics underscore the significant and rapid changes in the healthcare industry. Hospital services are far more expensive than a doctor's office or urgent care visit, and federal law requires anyone who goes to an ER to be seen and treated, regardless of their ability to pay.

Healthcare systems are finding more ways to lower their overhead and offer more services by treating people outside the hospital, said Adam Silverman, director of primary care at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

“One of the benefits of operating a FastCare center in a retail store is the convenience factor for patients,” said Silverman. “It's all about the location and extended hours. Working with a grocery store also opens up the possibility of some unique programming around nutrition and wellness.”

Consumers have increasing options for care, and they also have a greater demand for access that fits their health needs and schedule, said Silverman.

“We want to increase access to primary care that is convenient for our patients,” he said.

Greg Jones, senior manager of pharmacy business development at Ahold USA Inc. sees the FastCare clinics as a continuation of Stop & Shop's vision to bring new products and services to the grocer's customers.

“We can't predict how much foot traffic we will gain, however the FastCare clinics may encourage shoppers who have never visited Stop & Shop to take a look at our other offerings throughout the store,” Jones said.

Retail clinics like St. Francis' FastCare center provide basic, drop-in care, typically seven days a week, for simple acute conditions. Patients are typically treated by a nurse practitioner.

FastCare clinics provide access to care for injuries and common minor illnesses such as colds and flu, sinus infections, burns, rashes, allergies, sore throat, head lice, warts, sprains, and ear infections.

The FastCare clinics will also provide on-site tests for strep and pregnancy, and TB skin tests, Silverman said.

Along with the convenience of in-store healthcare services, customers also get access to pharmacy prescriptions and supplies without making an extra stop.

Retail healthcare clinics are located in pharmacies, grocery stores and big box chains such as Target, Walgreens and Walmart.

For example, CVS has MinuteClinics and Rite Aid has NowClinics.

About one-third of Americans live within a 10-minute drive of a retail clinic, according to a 2009 Rand Corp. study, which also found that Americans make more than 6 million visits to retail medical clinics each year.

A separate report found that patients who tap into retail healthcare clinics as opposed to visiting a hospital emergency room might be able to save up to $500 million a year in medical costs.

Using claims data from 9,503 patients who visited retail and non-retail clinics between 2004 and 2007, a study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that the average two-week cost for a non-retail clinic was $704, compared to $543 in retail clinics.

That figure dropped even further to $484 at retail clinics in states where nurse practitioners are allowed to diagnose and treat patients and prescribe medications without physician involvement.

Nationwide, there are more than 1,400 retail clinics and they are projected to account for about 10 percent of outpatient primary care visits by 2015, according to the study.