Kansas City Chiefs’ Defensive End Eric Hicks Will Sign Autographs, Speak About Healthy Lifestyle Choices at Broadway Blvd. Health Corner Clinic inside Walgreens

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Take Care Health Systems, in partnership with Walgreens Pharmacy and the Kansas City Chiefs, will host Chiefs defensive end Eric Hicks from 3-4:30 p.m. today, Monday, October 16, at the Health Corner Clinic inside the 3845 Broadway Blvd. Walgreens in Kansas City. Eric will sign autographs as well as promote healthy and timely lifestyle choices, including flu shots, blood pressure checks and regular physicals. There will also be a drawing to win an official NFL football personally autographed by Eric.

“We are very excited to have Eric join us in supporting the important work of providing Kansas City residents with high quality, convenient and affordable healthcare,” said Nancy Zaner, Lead Take Care Health Nurse Practitioner for Kansas City. “The Kansas City community has embraced our team of professional, caring Nurse Practitioners and we are eager for Eric to become a part of our roster for the afternoon.”

In July, Take Care Health, a leading operator of retail-based health care, opened 10 Health Corner Clinics in the Kansas City metro area with Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain. The Company’s flu shot program began last weekend, offering patients flu shots seven days a week, during the operating hours of the clinic, for $25 or a patient’s insurance co-pay if covered.

The Health Corner Clinics are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and are located directly across from the pharmacy, inside 10 Kansas City Walgreens locations. No appointments are necessary.

Take Care Health accepts most commercial insurance plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, UnitedHealthcare, Coventry and Humana as well as many Medicare and Medicaid plans. For insured patients the cost of a visit is generally the same as their office co-pay. For uninsured patients, the average fee for service ranges from $59-$74 per visit.

TCNPs have treated more than 23,000 patients in Kansas City, with 98 percent of patients stating they would definitely or probably recommend Take Care Health to a family or friend, according to a Take Care Health patient survey one week after a visit. Patients state a variety of reasons for visiting one of the clinics, including: the high level of convenience; their doctor’s office was closed or they couldn’t get an appointment; or they were uninsured and/or don’t have a regular doctor.

Take Care Health treats patients 18 months and older, and services include treatment for strep throat; ear, sinus, upper respiratory and bladder infections; pink eye; poison ivy; seasonal allergies; and other ailments. Take Care Nurse Practitioners (TCNPs) diagnose, treat, and write commonly used prescriptions for standard family illnesses in each clinic, including performing standard diagnostic screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar, PPD/Tuberculosis and pregnancy. Vaccines, including those for Flu and Tetanus are available.

TCNPs operate through a team-based approach with the Kansas City medical community to maintain optimal referral networks and integration of patient care. TCNPs utilize an electronic medical record system, providing printed copies of the visit record to the patient, and faxing or communicating with the patient’s primary care provider upon request. TCNPs refer patients back to their primary care provider, and they help patients find a provider if they need one. TCNPs have access to physicians and other health care specialists, and collaboration and supervision relationships are consistent with state regulations.

To date, Take Care Health Systems operates centers in St. Louis, Kansas City and Pittsburgh, with plans to open more centers with Walgreens over the next few months in Chicago. Take Care Health plans to open 200 centers by June 2007 and more than 1,000 centers in U.S cities by 2009.

About Take Care Health Systems

Take Care Health Systems (www.takecarehealth.com) of Conshohocken, Pa., a leading independent operator of convenient care clinics, is bringing high-quality, convenient and affordable health care to all Americans. Take Care Health's vision to combine best practices in medicine and the expertise and personal care of Take Care Nurse Practitioners (TCNPs) with world-class customer service is filling a critical need in America by providing easy access to health care. Take Care Health Centers are located inside national retail pharmacies where TCNPs focus exclusively on diagnosis, treatment, screening and vaccinations for common family illnesses. Take Care Health collaborates with the medical communities in the markets where it operates and supports the guidelines for convenient care clinics, set forth by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

For Take Care Health Systems
Tracey Belko, 212-446-1899
tbelko@sloanepr.com

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