MinuteClinic joins forces with Allina Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota

WOONSOCKET, R.I. CVS Caremark's MinuteClinic has formed a partnership with Allina Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota and western Wisconsin to align their clinical care operations, including medical oversight and informing patients of each party's services.

"We are pleased to work with one of the leading hospital and clinic systems in the country to expand access to basic health care needs in the community and improve patient outcomes," stated Andrew Sussman, M.D., MinuteClinic president. "Through this agreement, Allina physicians will serve as a valuable resource to our MinuteClinic nurse practitioners in the Twin Cities area. We also look forward to collaborating with Allina on information connectivity and a range of new services."

Allina Hospitals & Clinics is the largest integrated healthcare delivery system in Minnesota. It offers a full range of primary specialty care services including inpatient and outpatient care, 24-hour emergency care,medical transportation, pharmacy, and home and community services. Through its electronic medical record system, Allina provides coordinated care in 11 hospitals and more than 90 clinics.

Under the agreement, Allina and MinuteClinic will collaborate on aligning their clinical operations, including medical oversight and informing patients of each parties' services. In addition, Allina and MinuteClinic will develop interfaces between their EMR systems to streamline communication around all aspects of a patient?s care. They will also explore the development of new services in the market.