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MINNEAPOLIS — Target Corp. is introducing new medical services, including primary care, to four clinics in Southern California as part of a model being tested in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente, a health care provider.
Target Corp. is introducing new medical services, including primary care, to four clinics in Southern California as part of a model being tested in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente, a health care provider.
Kaiser Permanente will staff the in-store clinics with licensed nurse practitioners and licensed vocational nurses. Physicians will be available by telemedicine consultations, according to Target.
Among the medical services being provided at the clinics are pediatric care, women’s wellness exams, family planning, adolescent care and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes.
"We believe our stores are uniquely equipped to offer guests a comprehensive approach to supporting their wellness needs, including Target Clinic, Target Pharmacy, healthy foods and wellness products," said Dr. Kevin Ronneberg, medical director at Target.
Target employees now operate in-store clinics in 79 of the company’s 1,800 U.S. stores, offering services such as vaccinations and treatment of common illnesses and ailments.
Like other retailers, Target is seeking to increase its share of the billions of U.S. health care dollars being spent and to capitalize on changes that have resulted from the Affordable Care Act.
Walmart recently opened a handful of primary care clinics in Texas and South Carolina that the company said offer a mix of services that is broader than what’s available at the acute-care clinics leased by hospital operators at about 100 Walmart stores across the country.
Walgreen Co. and CVS Health each have hundreds of in-store clinics offering medical services, although none are marketed as primary care facilities.
The new Target Clinics will offer Kaiser Permanente’s health delivery system and Target’s focus on customer service in a familiar, convenient and friendly setting, Target said. Clinics were opened Monday in Vista, San Diego and Fontana. A fourth clinic, in West Fullerton, is set to open on December 6, Target said.
"We’re collaborating with Target because its clinics have a legacy of combining quality and convenience in a way that we think will resonate with both our members and the overall Target guest population," said Dr. Paul Minardi, medical director for business management at Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Target Clinics in Southern California. "This is the evolution of expanding Kaiser Permanente’s high-quality and holistic care delivery into a setting that will provide patients with wellness support."
