Retail Clinics

WOONSOCKET, R.I. CVS Caremark is partnering with nonprofit Direct Relief USA to offer up to $5 million in free flu shots to community clinic and health center patients who lack health insurance, the company announced on Wednesday.

MILWAUKEE Concerns about last year's H1N1 virus have had an impact on Americans' hand-washing habits, according to a national survey conducted by Bradley Corp.

In Bradley's second Healthy Hand Washing survey, 50% of the 1,053 respondents said they "wash their hands more thoroughly or longer or more frequently" in public restrooms as a result of the H1N1 virus — that's up from 45% in 2009 when the same question was asked.

NEW YORK Lack of beauty sleep may up one's risk of developing a condition that leads to diabetes and heart disease, a new study found.

MINNEAPOLIS Preventative health services, such as daily aspirin use, tobacco-cessation screening and alcohol-abuse screening potentially can save 2 million lives and nearly $4 billion annually, according to a new paper produced by the National Commission on Prevention Priorities.

BROOMFIELD, Colo. LifeNexus recently introduced its personal health card, a dual-purpose payment/loyalty card that comes equipped with an embedded microprocessor, the iChip, designed for an individually controlled health platform.

The personal health card can be used to maintain personal health records by securely transferring accurate information at the time and point of need. This will allow professionals access to a patient’s personal health record through card-based consumer authorization, which is both encrypted and password-protected.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. Former MinuteClinic regional medical director Francisco Trilla has joined Santa Rosa Community Health Centers, according to local news reports.

Trilla will serve as the new chief medical officer of Santa Rosa Community Health Centers, overseeing clinical programs at all of its eight facilities with "an emphasis on access and quality," according to reports.

NEW YORK Millions of patients with such acute ailments as fevers and coughs turn to the emergency room for treatment, according to researchers. The findings serve as yet one more indicator for the need of convenient and affordable health services available at retail-based clinics.

MINNEAPOLIS Target officially announced on Monday the opening of eight new Target Clinic locations in Chicago and the Palm Beach, Fla., area.

"Health and wellness is an important focus for Target, and we're thrilled to offer Target Clinic services to our guests in Chicago and the Palm Beach area," stated Keri Jones, SVP merchandising for Target. "We hope the new locations help our guests and their families reach their well-being goals with the same quality of service and value they expect from Target."