Walgreens (NYSE:WAG) (Nasdaq:WAG) and the Accreditation Association for
Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) today announced that Healthcare Clinics
at select Walgreens stores nationwide have received accreditation
from the nationally recognized organization.
The accreditation is a symbol of quality recognizing that each
Healthcare Clinic meets AAAHC requirements, embodying best practices and
operating in compliance with nationally recognized Standards of care.
Specifically, the accreditation distinguishes Healthcare Clinics at
select Walgreens as delivering high-quality care in an environment that
promotes patient safety.
“AAAHC shares our focus on high-quality, affordable and coordinated
patient care, and the accreditation is another important step in
Walgreens evolution from traditional retail drugstore to a community
health care destination,” said Heather Helle, divisional vice president,
Walgreens consumer solutions group. “The AAAHC accreditation process
requires a rigorous and complex series of evaluations, and we’re proud
to be recognized for delivering the highest levels of comprehensive,
quality care to our patients in order to help them get, stay and live
well.”
As part of the accreditation process, AAAHC representatives evaluated
Healthcare Clinic at select Walgreens professionals in the clinic
setting, interviewed executive leadership and conducted patient surveys.
AAAHC has established specific Standards that require clinics to be
patient-centered, comprehensive, accessible and to coordinate care with
all of the patients’ primary care and specialty care provider teams.
“The role of retail clinics continues to grow and gain momentum as a
valuable access point for care, and this setting is poised to grow in
importance and value as millions of Americans enter the system under
health care reform,” said John Burke, PhD, president and CEO, AAAHC. “We
are pleased to add Healthcare Clinics at select Walgreens to our
accredited members and congratulate them on their successful completion
of the process.”
There are more than 400 Healthcare Clinics at select Walgreens stores
across the U.S.
The accreditation of the retail clinics follows the company’s worksite
health center accreditation through AAAHC, announced last December.
Walgreens Employer Solutions Group, which manages more than 370 worksite
health centers nationwide, received AAAHC Medical Home accreditation,
recognizing that each location meets AAAHC requirements to be considered
a patient-centered medical home, embodying best practices and operating
in compliance with nationally recognized standards of care.
About Walgreens
As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2013 sales of $72
billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com)
vision is to be the first choice in health and daily living for everyone
in America, and beyond. Each day, Walgreens provides more than 6 million
customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and
services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness
services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of
pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility
and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services
improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers,
managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers
and the public sector. The company operates 8,123 drugstores in all 50
states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the
largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness
centers, provider practices, and in-store convenient care clinics, with
more than 750 locations throughout the country.
About AAAHC
The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC),
founded in 1979, is the leader in ambulatory health care accreditation
with more than 5,500 organizations accredited nationwide. AAAHC
accredits a variety of ambulatory health care organizations, including
ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery centers, college
student health centers, health plans/managed care organizations,
military health care clinics, large medical and dental practices and
medical homes. In 2010, AAAHC launched an international accreditation.
AAAHC serves as an advocate for the provision of high-quality health
care through the development of nationally recognized standards and
through its survey and accreditation programs. AAAHC accreditation is
recognized as a symbol of quality by third-party payers, medical
organizations, liability insurance companies, state and federal agencies
and the public. For more information visit www.aaahc.org
Copyright Business Wire 2013