Report: MinuteClinic to move its headquarters

WOONSOCKET, R.I. CVS Caremark's retail clinic division will be moving its headquarters, which will eliminate 150 jobs at the company, according to local reports.

The Star Tribune of Minnesota reported that MinuteClinic will move its headquarters to Woonsocket, R.I., the headquarters location of CVS Caremark, in an effort to "support[s] our goal of tighter integration of MinuteClinic with CVS Caremark" and "foster better alignment with CVS Caremark's chronic care, patient engagement and disease management initiatives," spokeswoman Carolyn Castel was quoted as saying to the newspaper.

MinuteClinic employees (both corporate and administrative) in Minneapolis will be laid off in January, with most leaving in the second and third quarters 2010, Castel told The Star Tribune. They may, however, apply for other jobs within the company, she said.

Last week, MinuteClinic announced its strategic alliance with Allina Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota. 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.

MinuteClinic operates 500 retail clinics in the United States and is currently the largest retail clinic chain in the nation.