Take Care Health Systems Expands Treatment For Skin Conditions And Minor Injuries

Main Category: Dermatology
Article Date: 02 Jul 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE:WAG) (NASDAQ:WAG) and the largest and most comprehensive provider of convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers in the country, is now offering a new set of procedures for skin conditions and minor injury treatments.

As part of this expansion of services, Take Care Clinics now offer the following procedures:

- Wart removal with Cryotherapy
- Skin tag removal
- Closure of minor cuts with Dermabond®
- Treatment of skin irritations (Contact Dermatitis)
- Expanded scope of skin evaluation and treatment for skin infections, injuries and rashes

Take Care Clinics provide access to high-quality, convenient and affordable health care to meet the needs of patients and their families. The addition of these new services is a result of feedback from patients, Take Care Health Providers and recent research which identified a desire for the treatment of these types of skin conditions in the convenient care setting. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, over 48 million skin examinations are conducted each year, which result in 3.2 million viral wart procedures and 3.3 million skin tag removals.

"Patients are very satisfied with the service and offerings at Take Care Clinics, and we've found that they are looking for additional high-quality, convenient and affordable treatment options in our care setting," said Peter Miller, Take Care Health Systems' president and CEO. "We will continue to evaluate and implement new services which meet the needs of patients and can be offered with clinical excellence at Take Care Clinics."

Take Care Clinics are professional walk-in health care centers open seven days a week, with extended evening and weekend hours. Clinics are staffed by board certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants who treat patients 18 months and older for common illnesses such as strep throat, ear and sinus infections, pink eye and poison ivy, and are able to write prescriptions when necessary. The clinics also offer preventative services, such as camp, sport and back-to-school physicals; men's and women's health evaluations and vaccinations including GARDASIL (HPV), Menactra (Meningitis), the Shingles vaccine and others.

Take Care Health Systems encourages all patients to have a health care home, a primary care provider they see for ongoing medical needs and routine exams. If a patient's condition falls outside the scope of service at a Take Care Clinic, the patient is referred to an appropriate site for care, such as a primary care provider or specialist.

"Take Care Health Systems employs exceptional health care professionals who are educated and prepared to offer high-quality treatment for an array of skin conditions," said Sandra Ryan, RN, MSN, CPNP, FAANP and chief nurse practitioner for Take Care Health Systems. "If a patient at a Take Care Clinics is seeking treatment for a condition that falls outside of our scope of service, our clinicians expertly advocate for patients, making sure they get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Take Care Health Systems currently manages 345 Take Care Clinics at Walgreens drugstores in 35 markets across 19 states, including locations in: Atlanta, Boulder-Longmont, Colo., Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Green Bay, Wis., Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Louisville, Madison, Wis., Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans, Orlando, Fla., Oshkosh, Wis., Peoria, Ill., Philadelphia-area, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Rockford, Ill., St. Louis, Tampa, Fla., Topeka, Kan., Tucson, Ariz., West Palm Beach, Fla. and Wichita, Kan.

Source
Take Care Health Systems