Take Care Health Systems expands services; now offering nebulizer treatments at clinics nationwide

NEW YORK The fact that Take Care Health Systems has expanded its service offering to include nebulizer treatments is important for several reasons, one of which is that it will further help alleviate some of the pressure at overflowing emergency rooms.

The move also helps Take Care Health prepare to deal with chronic disease management for asthma in all of its clinics.

With rising healthcare costs, overbooked doctors’ offices and emergency rooms spilling over with patients in need of care, convenient care clinics have emerged as an integral player in the U.S. healthcare system. Providing patients with convenient, affordable and quality healthcare is the mission driving such retail-based clinics as Take Care Health, and easing the strain currently weighing on emergency rooms is certainly part of that equation.

According to National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care data provided by Take Care Health, “diseases of the respiratory system” were the third largest primary diagnosis among visits to the emergency room in 2005 and 2006, comprising of 2.8% and 3.1% of all emergency room visits, respectively.

Furthermore, Take Care Health Systems president and CEO Peter Miller stated that over the past year, its clinics have seen more than 300,000 cases of acute respiratory conditions and its nurse practitioners and physician assistants have written prescriptions for nebulizers or meter dosed inhalers for about 10% of visits.

Clearly, there is a need in the marketplace and Take Care Health has stepped up to further meet that need as patients can now turn to Take Care Clinics for those nebulizer treatments, if deemed medically necessary, and receive prescriptions for nebulizers.

As mentioned earlier, this new service offering also helps prepare the clinic operator to deal with chronic disease management for asthma in all of its 340-plus clinics, and is a nod to the future.