46°
GRAFTON, Mass. - The Grafton CVS will open a walk-in medical clinic inside its store before the end of this year, ushering in what could be a growth trend in the central Massachusetts area and a new route for minor, everyday ailments.
Although the exact date has not been set, a spokesperson for MinuteClinic said it will be in time for the cold and flu season, traditionally the busiest time of year for routine medical care.
Its launch could be strongly welcomed. There are only a handful of primary care physicians in town, some who no longer accept new patients, leaving many residents to travel to neighboring communities for routine treatment of poison ivy, strep throat, and pink eye. When opened, the new clinic will offer another option without an appointment.
“It’s all about convenience,” said retail medicine consultant and analyst Thomas Charland, head of Minnesota-based Merchant Medicine, LLC. He said that when a family member gets sick with a routine ailment, a place like MinuteClinic makes sense given the scheduling inflexibility of many doctors who practice internal medicine.
“For a doctor to say, ‘we can see you tomorrow afternoon’, just doesn’t cut it,” he said.
Walk-in clinics are growing rapidly in Massachusetts. There are 31 Minuteclinics in the state, half opening in the past three years. One of the most recent is in Northborough, the sole one in the area.
Nationwide, CVS operates 561 clinics, the largest in the country. Its nearest competitor, Walgreens, operates 360 “Take Care” clinics, but none in Massachusetts. Rebecca Carriero, a spokesperson for Walgreens, said although she could not comment specifically about the local area, Walgreens is planning on expanding the number of clinics in the years to come.
Driven by their flexibility, pricing, and convenience, walk-in clinics are growing in popularity despite their sparse setting amongst aisles of shampoo and Halloween candy. Patients with health insurance from one of the top three carriers in the state don’t need a referral, while those without health insurance can expect a fixed price menu. For example, CVS MinuteClinic charges $32 for a seasonal flu shot, and $79 to $89 for a minor injury or treatment for a common ailment like bronchitis or an earache.
Existing communities have been accepting overall. Jamie Terry, Board of Health Agent for the Town of Northborough, said since CVS opened a clinic in town, she has not heard any complaints. Lois Luniewicz, Health Agent for the Grafton Board of Health said, in her personal opinion, if staffed properly, it can be a positive to the town. In Massachusetts, the state board of health regulates the clinics.
Aside from Grafton, a CVS in Worcester is also planning on opening a clinic later this year. When launched, both will be open seven days a week, will be first come, first serve, and be staffed by a nurse practitioner.
Comments (5)
I work for CVS Corporate, and most specifically for this Clinic called Minute Clinic, which CVS owns. It is a walk in clinic and does accept lots of insurances. We are owned by CVS but are a total separate company and the CVS store has nothing to do with us. There will be one nurse practioner on 7 days a week including holidays. You can be seen for vaccinations, colds, health screenings, Tb tests, camp/sports/school screenings (not billable to insurance) and many other basic services. The clinic is not an urgent care or a free clinic. We are a retail walk in clinic and be sure to check with your insurance plan because not all plans allow you to go retail walk in clinics. Please visit the website for more info at MinuteClinic.com. We hope you enjoy the clinic and the convenience it provides. Thanks!!
I feel the response to this change will be mostly positive, with one major exception - parking within the confines of the current CVS site plan. The Town needs to request an updated traffic study in and around this site - before signing on the dotted line. Don't get me wrong - it is a GREAT idea, and LONG overdue, but we must not let our emotions overrule our logic... ---JRD
The CVS parking lot and S&S should one large lot with one entrance/exit. That whole stretch of 122/140 is an unplanned mess.
Traffic in and out of CVS is an issue, but how does this relate to them putting a Minute Clinic in? I do not see this as creating a profound 'out the door' influx of people, it is just another service they offer.
Should a study be made for this area? It probably wouldn't be a bad idea. I for one don't care for the in/out there in front of CVS, as it is crossing two lanes of merging traffic, and is right there with traffic coming and going to Snow Road. If I got to get to CVS, I usually opt to enter in from the lights, and honestly that should be fine for most people.
Yes!! Cant wait. I have 2 small children and being able to drop in with simple ailments (for which you need a prescription) these clinics are fabulous. It can't open soon enough!