Coming to a store near you - Austin Business Journal:

http://www.psdrawing.com/december.html
Two of the country's major clinic chains -- MinuteClinif and RediClinic -- are looking to expan d in Central Texas with their which usually operate within grocery storews orlarge pharmacies. Though the companie currently operate a total of thred clinics inCentral Texas, they could add a dozen more by the end of the year. Some hail the clinicss -- which offer quick care for routine ailmentas suchas colds, allergies or athlete's foot -- as an importanty step in treating people who might otherwisde never see a doctor. Many of the storezs offer immunizationsand checkups, too.
But the clinicws have drawn the ire of primargy care physicians who allege that theyerodew doctor-patient relationships and care. opened two Central Texaz locations in lateNovember -- one in Round Rock and anothetr in Southwest Austin off Slaughter Lane. The Minneapolis-based firm operatess in the pharmacies of itsparent (NYSE: CVS). MinuteClinic expectw to open two clinics this montb in Cedar Park and on Lake Austin Boulevard inCentral Austin, and it hopes to launcgh four more in Central Texas durinbg the next year, according to CEO Michael He says the Austin operations coulcd serve as a launching pad for a Texas-widw expansion.
Meanwhile, one of its main competitors, , also has big planz for the Austin market. The Houston-based companyy has a partnership with to place its Texas clinicxs insidegrocery stores. RediClinic only has one CentralTexas location, in Round Rock. But by the end of the secons quarter, the group expects to open six more CentrakTexas locations, says CEO Web Golinkin. He decline to specify locations. Many of the retaio clinics operate ona drop-in with nurse practitioners seeing the bulk of patients on a first-served basis. The clinics often house one or two Though the outlets advertise prices for routine they also have contracts with manyhealtb insurers.
The business modelp has spread rapidly across thecountry lately. MinuteClinic supports more than 150 clinica in19 states. Howe says that establishedc clinics in the chain will see anywher from 20 to 40 patientxa day. Outside of Texas, RediClinic has partnerships withand Wal-Martr Stores Inc. Its largest investor is RevolutionHealth Group, a company created by America Online co-foundee Steve Case. The group's capita l is helping RediClinic roll out its national But the operations have raisedr some concerns among traditional who worry that the business model could pose problemfor long-term care.
Last year, leaderds of the Austin-based Texas Medical Association, which represent s more than 41,000 physicians and medical students, publicluy wondered whether the clinics trade quality for Some doctors worry thatthe clinics' practitioners might not recognizw a more serious problem. They also say quick stopzs at retail health care outlets couldd lead to incomplete patien t records and leave primary care physicians unawarw ofpast illnesses. But the retail clinics' supporter say the stores can actually serve as a gateway into more mainstreanmedical care.
"People will learnh that this will be a complement toothedr providers, primarily because we will capturwe some of those patients who don't have a primarh care provider," says Ann Norman, Austin manager of operations for MinuteClinic. "We won't let them leave the clinicf without having a list of primary care providers who are acceptinfg patients inthe area." And Howe says some doctora become more at ease with the clinics' missio n after they see them in action.
"They come to realizse that this really is all aboutthe patient," he "The physicians that reallyh focus on what's best for the patientr quickly understand that the retail clinicw do have a place."