Dive Brief:
- The University of Miami Health System (UHealth) and Walgreens have struck a deal, expanding the reach of both brands within South Florida, Chicago Business Journal reported.
- UHealth will manage patient care at 17 Walgreens walk-in clinics in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
- Walgreens will gain exclusive access to patients at several University of Miami facilities and will offer selected services to university employees.
Dive Insight:
The clinics will be rebranded as UHealth Clinic – University of Miami Health System at Walgreens. For its part, Walgreens will open pharmacies at three UHealth facilities: the Lennar Foundation Medical Center in Coral Gables, the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Miami Hospital.
Retail clinics, which experts originally thought would divert non-emergency patients away from hospital emergency departments, have instead emerged as an alternative to traditional primary care, according to a study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. With retail clinics increasing rather than diverting healthcare use, UHealth will capture a larger piece of the pie in South Florida.