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5/8/2006
Curaquick expands to Des
Moines & Dubuque area
Curaquick CEO John Daniels today announced an agreement
with Hy-Vee Inc. to add Curaquick health clinics to
several Hy-Vee supermarkets in the Des Moines area.
Curaquick will partner with Iowa
Health Des Moines (IHDM) and The Iowa Clinic to staff
the walk-in clinics with nurse practitioners or
physician assistants. The clinics, which specialize in
retail delivery of basic medical services, will lease
space in two Hy-Vee stores in Des Moines, one in West
Des Moines and one in Ankeny.
Curaquick also plans to open a
clinic in a Hy-Vee Food Store in Dubuque, Iowa.
Daniels, a Curaquick cofounder and
the company’s chief executive, says the concept of the
in-store medical clinic to provide basic healthcare
services at a reasonable cost has been well-received.
The company now operates twelve clinics in three states.
In addition to Hy-Vee, there are Curaquick clinics in
Spartan Stores in Ohio.
“Consumers want choices, and
healthcare is no exception,” Daniels said. “Curaquick
Clinics in Hy-Vee offer a practical, affordable
option.”
The clinics, whose extended hours
of operation are appealing to busy families, will
operate on a first-come, first-serve basis and will
treat minor illnesses and ailments such as allergies,
heartburn, colds and coughs for a flat fee of $40 per
visit. Vaccinations for flu, pneumonia and tetanus will
also be available for a small additional charge.
“Offering on-site care to those
with minor ailments is just one more service we can
offer our busy customers who, for some time now, have
made their demands for both convenience and quality
service well-known,” said Hy-Vee Vice President Tom
Watson. “We are delighted to work with Curaquick to
bring affordable, basic medical care into the mainstream
of retail.”
Eric Crowell, CEO of IHDM, says
that the ever-changing lifestyles of today’s consumers
require healthcare providers to continually assess their
services. “Developing solutions that are right for our
community is of paramount importance to us. We are
pleased to partner with Curaquick to bring healthcare to
the people in convenient locations.”
Ed Brown, CEO of The Iowa Clinic,
agrees. “We strive to offer cutting-edge services to our
clients. Working with Curaquick allows us to offer a
continuum of care that is unmatched in this area.”
Curaquick clinics fill a void for
people who are uninsured or underinsured, says Daniels.
It is also attractive to people who have insurance but
struggle to pay higher deductible and co-payment fees,
he adds.
Signs outside the clinic list the
types of medical care offered. Those who come to the
clinic with more serious or chronic conditions will be
referred to doctors, hospitals or urgent care
facilities. Insured patients who receive treatment are
provided with a detailed receipt to submit to their
insurance carrier.
Construction on the clinics will
begin shortly. The first of a staggered schedule of
openings will be in the spring.
Curaquick Clinics,
based in Sioux City, Iowa, specializes in retail-based
healthcare clinics. The Curaquick Clinic model is
similar to the emerging national trend toward convenient
and affordable healthcare delivery systems.
Hy-Vee, Inc. is an
employee-owned corporation operating 223 retail stores
in seven Midwestern states. For 2006 the company
recorded total sales of $5.3 billion, ranking it among
the top 20 supermarket chains and the top 40 private
companies in the U.S. The company was named 2006
Retailer of the Year by Supermarket News, the
authoritative voice of the food industry.
Iowa Health – Des Moines, a
subsidiary of Iowa Health System, is the largest private
medical service provider in the state. It includes Iowa
Methodist Medical Center, Iowa Lutheran Hospital and
Blank Children’s Hospital and more than 35 primary care
physician clinics throughout central Iowa.
The Iowa Clinic, P.C. is an
independent, physician owned multi-specialty clinic with
more than 120 physicians and healthcare providers
practicing in over 30 specialties. |
