Penn. health system, MinuteClinic to integrate EHRs, collaborate on care

Main Line Health (MLH), a Penn-based health system, and MinuteClinic, CVS’s retail healthcare division, have signed an agreement in which MLH’s network of more than 2,000 doctors will serve as collaborating physicians for MinuteClinic locations in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

The collaboration will include future clinics as part of MinuteClinic's national expansion plan to add 150 new clinics this year and reach a total of 1,500 clinics in the U.S. by 2017, according to a press release.

Under the agreement, MLH physicians will collaborate with MinuteClinic's nurse practitioners to provide quality support, teaching and back-up.

The partners will integrate their EMRs to streamline communication around care. With patient consent, MinuteClinic will electronically share medical histories and visit summaries with other facilities and physicians and continue its standard practice of sending patient visit summaries to primary care providers within 24 hours, according to the retailer. MinuteClinic and MLH also will collaborate on patient education and disease management initiatives and will inform patients of the services each offer.