MinuteClinic Opens Its First Retail Clinics in Maine

PRESS RELEASE

WOONSOCKET, R.I., Nov. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- MinuteClinic, the largest and fastest growing provider of retail-based medical clinics in the United States, has opened its first retail clinics in Maine inside CVS/pharmacy stores in Portland and South Portland. State Senator Anne Haskell will join in a ribbon cutting today at the Portland clinic.

MinuteClinic now has more than 1,000 clinics in 33 states and the District of Columbia inside select CVS/pharmacy stores. There are nearly 100 clinics in five New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Clinics are open seven days a week, including weekday evening hours. No appointment is necessary. About 50 percent of MinuteClinic visits occur on evenings, weekends and holidays.

"As we have experienced elsewhere in New England and across the United States, MinuteClinic can support the primary care medical home by offering services at convenient locations near where patients live and work and at times when traditional options for care may not be available for Portland area residents," said Andrew Sussman, M.D., president, MinuteClinic and executive vice president/associate chief medical officer, CVS Health. "We know there is a need for more accessible and affordable health care in Maine, and we believe the demand for MinuteClinic services will continue to grow due, in part, to the shortage of primary care physicians, the aging Baby Boomer population and the influx of newly insured patients through the Affordable Care Act."

MinuteClinic nurse practitioners specialize in family health care and can diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common family illnesses such as strep throat and ear, eye, sinus, bladder and bronchial infections. Minor wounds, abrasions, skin conditions and joint sprains are treated, and common vaccinations such as influenza, tetanus, pneumonia and Hepatitis A & B are available at most locations.

In addition, MinuteClinic administers a series of wellness services designed to help patients identify lifestyle changes needed to improve their current and future health, including screenings and monitoring for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and smoking cessation and weight loss management services.

Most health insurance is accepted at MinuteClinic. For patients paying cash or credit, treatment prices are posted at each clinic and on www.minuteclinic.com. The cost for most treatment starts at $79 - $99.

At the conclusion of each visit, patients receive educational material, a prescription (when clinically appropriate) and a visit summary. A copy of the diagnostic record can be sent electronically, or by fax or mail to a primary care provider with patient permission.

Approximately half of MinuteClinic patients nationwide do not have a personal physician, according to Sussman. Individuals who visit MinuteClinic without a primary care provider are given a list of physicians in the area who are accepting new patients.

MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics in Maine operate from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

Portland, Maine MinuteClinic Locations

• Portland, 111 Auburn Street (North Gate Shopping Center)
• South Portland, 51 Market Street