[Miss_Chybil]

By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - After three months of feeling lethargic with bouts of blurred vision, 65-year-old Jim Einsweiler walked into a clinic in his local Walgreens pharmacy, mostly, he said, to appease his wife.

Hours later, he was in a cardiac care unit at a nearby hospital. He stayed for eight days and received three stents to prop open his arteries. "I was a walking time bomb," he said.

The Take Care Health Clinic he visited in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, one of 21 in the Chicago area, is part of a major push by retailers like Walgreen Co, CVS Caremark, Target Corp and Wal-Mart Stores Inc to add basic health services to their stores. They plan 700 U.S. clinics by year-end and as many as 2,000 by 2008.

While Einsweiler's story ended well, doctors groups are wary of the clinics, saying their reliance on family nurse practitioners could threaten patient safety and come between doctors and their patients.

much more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNe...edName=topNews

[WashRN]

Originally Posted by Miss_Chybil

By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - After three months of feeling lethargic with bouts of blurred vision, 65-year-old Jim Einsweiler walked into a clinic in his local Walgreens pharmacy, mostly, he said, to appease his wife.

Hours later, he was in a cardiac care unit at a nearby hospital. He stayed for eight days and received three stents to prop open his arteries. "I was a walking time bomb," he said.

The Take Care Health Clinic he visited in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, one of 21 in the Chicago area, is part of a major push by retailers like Walgreen Co, CVS Caremark, Target Corp and Wal-Mart Stores Inc to add basic health services to their stores. They plan 700 U.S. clinics by year-end and as many as 2,000 by 2008.

While Einsweiler's story ended well, doctors groups are wary of the clinics, saying their reliance on family nurse practitioners could threaten patient safety and come between doctors and their patients.

much more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNe...edName=topNews

Unfortunately many NP practices will be under the suspicion of doctors, not due to the quality of the care, but due to competition. NPs are building a loyal following for the quality of care they provide. I think the unfair and misleading inferences by doctors' groups are going to get worse as the practice of NPs grow. Lets hope each provider will be judged on the quality of health care they provide irrespective if the person is a MD or NP.

[CHATSDALE]

the mds should view a np as a bridge between them and the patients that can benefit from both healthcare providers

[imenid37]

The biggest threat that these NP's pose is to the physician's wallet! Are there some bad NP's out there? I am sure there are. I have certainly met many lousy doctors over the past 25 years. The medical associations are much less worried about the public's welfare as they are the almighty $. The fact that NP's give good care as a whole for much less $ is of grave concern. If NP's gave poor care, it would make the dr's look good. We all know that just ain't happening, so they have to conjure up some propaganda!!!

[SueBee RN-BSN]

Doctors have bullied nurses like this for ever. The doctors will get away with closing these clinics down, and the nurses will stand by and let it happen. The nurses will also stand by and let the doctors call them unsafe, without proof. The nurses will fight with each other over this loss of employment.

Docotrs have a history of putting patients in danger, by limiting medical services to themselves.

When are you all going to wake up and use the law as a means to help yourselves????

[teeituptom]

These clinics will do nothing but help the situation. They will help reduce ER overcrowding. I may look at working one of those clinics when I get older and am willing to slow down some.

[linzz]

In certain areas of Canada, the doctor shortage is just brutal. Even with universal medicare, there are cities with 50 000 people who do not have a family care provider at all. The rely on walk in clinics which are often only open during the day or they wait at the er. So I am sure that these clinics would be well received but it likely won't happen.

[Kiringat]

I'm a fan of the clinics, personally. They provide a great service to people who may have diffuculty (or just skip) getting care any other way. Not to mention the what would have been ER visits, strep tests, etc.
In my own experience, I got a Tetnus booster, Heb B, TB test, and a physical, all for less than $100. The care I was given was great, I was in and out in about 45 minutes, and I got some shopping done too.
Doctors are afraid of the competition, but won't look at their own practices as part of the problem. Nurses won't get together to defend themselves, and the doctors will shut them down. Fun, isn't it?

[teeituptom]

Originally Posted by Kiringat

I'm a fan of the clinics, personally. They provide a great service to people who may have diffuculty (or just skip) getting care any other way. Not to mention the what would have been ER visits, strep tests, etc.
In my own experience, I got a Tetnus booster, Heb B, TB test, and a physical, all for less than $100. The care I was given was great, I was in and out in about 45 minutes, and I got some shopping done too.
Doctors are afraid of the competition, but won't look at their own practices as part of the problem. Nurses won't get together to defend themselves, and the doctors will shut them down. Fun, isn't it?

They wont be able to shut them down, They can either beat them or join them. I see them as taking the path of least resisitance and joining them

[SueBee RN-BSN]

Originally Posted by teeituptom

They wont be able to shut them down, They can either beat them or join them. I see them as taking the path of least resisitance and joining them

Uh!! I don't think any doctor is going to stand by and let some nurse take $$$ from his/her practice. Doctors would rather endanger the public than let nurses do what they are doing.

I agree these clinics are great for reducing ER visits, and low cost as well, but the doctors will not let this go on for long.

What nurses need to do is find a good lawyer, and take this to court. When doctors put nurses out of work, or limit a nurses practice, it is against the law. You don't need a group of nurses to do this either, one nurse who wins in court will do the job.