I didn't know exactly where on SDN to put this, but figure this is somewhat remotely related to urgent care and Emergency Medicine, guess I'll dump it on you guys :)


http://www.clickondetroit.com/health/5142360/detail.html

Need A Doctor? Head To Wal-Mart

7:12 am EDT October 21, 2005

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Attention Wal-Mart shoppers: The doctor is in.

Solantic, an urgent care company based in Jacksonville, has struck a deal with the world's largest retailer to locate walk-in clinics in two of its stores in Florida.

Each center has a board-certified physician on duty and is open on holidays and weekends -- the same hours as Wal-Mart is open.

Solantic said the flexible hours will make it easier for people who rarely see a doctor to do so without going to an emergency room.

In addition, the days of cooling your heels in a waiting room are over. Solantic said after you check in, you can go out and shop in the store and you'll be paged or called on your cell phone when it's time for your appointment.

Solantic said if the Florida experiment is successful, the concept could be taken nationwide.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

How on earth are they going to get Dr's to agree to that? Horrible hours and working holidays..And i'm sure Walmart isn't up there on the pay scale.

Especially when the Dr can go and open their own clinic.

By hiring doctors that nobody else will.

How on earth are they going to get Dr's to agree to that? Horrible hours and working holidays..And i'm sure Walmart isn't up there on the pay scale.

Especially when the Dr can go and open their own clinic.


It also doesn't appear as though the physician will be employed by wal-mart - instead they will be empoloyed by Solantic and their office will just happen to be inside of wal-mart.

I think you guys are looking at this wrong. This sounds to me like a typical doc in a box setup only with unlimited set up capitol and a pretty much guaranteed pt. base. I bet they will be able to pay competetively and have NO problems getting docs. As for horrible hours and working holidays.... Aren't I in the EM forum? The only difference here is being in Florida you can pretty much bet they are not going to limit their docs to board certified EM guys to work it.

I would never work there full time, but I would totaly moonlight a few hours a week for $100/hr after the internship year.

I don't think they will have a problem finding docs or a patient base, but it doesn't sound like an ED/Urgent care set up to me. From the excerpt it sounds more like an outpatient clinic with Wal-Mart as the waiting room. If it staffs an EP and sees people with acute problems, where the heck would they admit.....Target??? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

The wal-mart urgentcare model I have heard about so far only hired a bunch of PAs. They run the walk-in facility and are 'supervised' by a MD at the providers headquarters. Everything is very protocol driven and anything above the level of a runny nose is referred to the local ED.

The PA model seems much more like Wal-Mart.

Hey now!

One very good gig for PA's (and NP's) is the doc-in-a-box scenario. Target was first, with a number of MinuteClinics. http://www.minuteclinic.com . It's a great business model, and if it keeps people out of the ED with any complaint that can be handled by a PA or NP at Target, I don't see where there can possibly be a downside.

As always, Target is also somewhat classier than Wal-Mart. But there's a specific list of things they'll do (flu shot: yes. Pap smear: no.) and they WILL refer a pt to an ED if needed. It sounds like this Wal-Mart thing will be a board-certified MD, so I wonder how the facility will be stocked and staffed to make the best use of that.

Hey now!

One very good gig for PA's (and NP's) is the doc-in-a-box scenario. Target was first, with a number of MinuteClinics. http://www.minuteclinic.com . It's a great business model, and if it keeps people out of the ED with any complaint that can be handled by a PA or NP at Target, I don't see where there can possibly be a downside.

As always, Target is also somewhat classier than Wal-Mart. But there's a specific list of things they'll do (flu shot: yes. Pap smear: no.) and they WILL refer a pt to an ED if needed. It sounds like this Wal-Mart thing will be a board-certified MD, so I wonder how the facility will be stocked and staffed to make the best use of that.

Not sure which model it is, but one of them (I think Minuteclinic) has Steve Case (former AOL founder) as a major investor/operator and even Colin Powell is involved. That said, I don't think this is going away.

But as far as I know (I did read an article on it, but can't find it), it was to be staffed by NP's.

In Minneapolis (my home town), they have job listings posted for "NP's and PA's." Maybe they don't want to take on the "explain what a PA is" job in their advertising, but they have a little placard at their site at the downtown Target, explaining what both NPs and PAs are.

I didn't know exactly where on SDN to put this, but figure this is somewhat remotely related to urgent care and Emergency Medicine, guess I'll dump it on you guys :)


http://www.clickondetroit.com/health/5142360/detail.html

Need A Doctor? Head To Wal-Mart

7:12 am EDT October 21, 2005

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Attention Wal-Mart shoppers: The doctor is in.

Solantic, an urgent care company based in Jacksonville, has struck a deal with the world's largest retailer to locate walk-in clinics in two of its stores in Florida.

Each center has a board-certified physician on duty and is open on holidays and weekends -- the same hours as Wal-Mart is open.

Solantic said the flexible hours will make it easier for people who rarely see a doctor to do so without going to an emergency room.

In addition, the days of cooling your heels in a waiting room are over. Solantic said after you check in, you can go out and shop in the store and you'll be paged or called on your cell phone when it's time for your appointment.

Solantic said if the Florida experiment is successful, the concept could be taken nationwide.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

This idea is more retro than leading edge. Doc-in-the-boxes were "the thing" in the 80's. We were upset because "they sucked up the walking well paying customers". Well it's twenty years later and those places are alomost all gone. The primary care Docs have to give better service and the EDs are taking care of sick patients.

The only new idea contained is the location. It might make a difference but I wouldn't bet on it. The veterinarians were worried when the 800-lb gorilla (Petsmart) started putting vet clinics in their store. It's ten years later and my wife and her many colleagues have hardly noticed the difference.

Don't worry, be happy. :laugh: