MinuteClinic, Palo Alto VA system team to increase health care access for veterans

WOONSOCKET, R. I. — CVS Health’s MinuteClinic on Tuesday announced a new initiative that it will be undertaking with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in an effort to expand veterans’ access to high-quality and convenient health care in northern California. As a result of the initiative, the 60,000 veterans enrolled in health system can be referred to MinuteClinic for acute health services. 

 

“We are pleased to announce this new initiative with the VA Palo Alto Health Care System,” MinuteClinic president and CVS Health EVP and associate chief medical officer Andrew Sussman said. “Through this arrangement, MinuteClinic and the VA Palo Alto will join forces to provide Veterans in Northern California with additional options for high-quality clinical services. We're committed to providing top-notch care to the area's Veterans and this relationship will allow us to do so in locations and at times that are convenient for the VA's patients.”

 

Veterans who call the VA Palo Alto’s Nurse Helpline at 1-800-445-0057 can be referred to one of 14 participating MinuteClinc locations to treat common illnesses, and MinuteClinic and the health system will use an interconnected electronic medical records system. The EMR collaboration will allow participating MinuteClinic locations to send the patient’s VA primary care provider summaries of visits with the patient’s consent. 

 

“This program reaffirms our commitment to access through innovation and flexible health care delivery,” VA Palo Alto Health Care System deputy chief of staff  Dr. Stephen Ezeji-Okoye said. “The diverse geography of our Veteran population requires us to think about access as providing the right care at the right place at the right time — as defined by the veteran. We are particularly excited about working with MinuteClinic because they share our commitment to high-quality care and our belief in meeting Veterans needs as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

 

The following locations will be participating in the new initiative: