Walgreens Worksite Health Centers receive accreditation as medical homes

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care announced on Thursday that half of the primary care worksite health centers managed by Walgreens Employer Solutions Group have received Medical Home accreditation, with plans to have all of the company’s employer-based primary care centers accredited in the first half of 2013.



The accreditation recognizes that each worksite health center meets AAAHC requirements to be considered a patient-centered medical home, embodying best practices and operating in compliance with nationally recognized standards of care.



“We’re proud to have received accreditation from AAAHC, an organization that shares our commitment to ensuring healthcare delivery meets the highest-quality standards and is coordinated across the healthcare spectrum, benefitting both employers and employees,” stated Trent Riley, divisional VP for Walgreens Health and Wellness division. “Walgreens has demonstrated how investing in worksite health programs can reduce costs and improve health outcomes for our clients, and this recognition underscores the broad capabilities and quality of care delivered by the dedicated healthcare providers at our centers.”



As part of the approximately year-long accreditation process, AAAHC representatives visited worksite health centers at a number of Walgreens client sites, including Toyota, Southwire and Fieldale Farms. At each of these locations, on-site surveys were conducted in order to evaluate whether the Walgreens facilities successfully meet AAAHC criteria as a Medical Home.



The AAAHC accreditation brings further recognition to Walgreens core structure for demonstrated compliance with AAAHC established clinical, quality and organizational standards related to the management and operation of its worksite health centers.



AAAHC has established specific standards for the Medical Home that require them to be patient-centered, physician-directed, comprehensive, accessible and to coordinate care with all of the patient’s primary care and specialty care provider teams.



AAAHC, which in 2009 launched the nation’s first medical home accreditation, was also the first organization to offer an on-site survey for the Medical Home. The peer-based surveys are designed to allow for a more rigorous process examining the quality of provided, and are conducted by physicians, nurses and clinical administrators who work in ambulatory healthcare delivery.



Employers are increasingly looking to offer on-site health-and-wellness services, according to a 2011 report from Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health. The report showed 23% of companies currently offer on-site health services and that an additional 12% of companies plan to begin to offer services this year