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Albertsons Cos. brings health care to the shopper

Telemedicine clinics, diabetes care program launch in stores

Russell Redman

November 29, 2018

4 Min Read
Akos
Akos

Two new initiatives by Albertsons Cos. are providing grocery shoppers with in-store access to primary health care and disease management services.

Today, Albertsons is officially launching Akos Med Clinic virtual health clinics inside five Safeway supermarkets in the Phoenix area. The self-guided telemedicine stations, using artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technology from AdviNOW Medical, are slated to be rolled out in Safeway locations across the state through next year.

Also on Thursday, Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons said it has joined the Solera Health network of National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) providers. The move makes diabetes care support directly available in supermarkets across the retailer’s banners, including at Albertsons, Safeway and Vons stores.

Two of the Akos Med Clinics opened at Safeway stores in Tempe and Glendale, Ariz., at the end of October and early November. The others are at Safeways in Gilbert, Mesa and Phoenix (4811 N. 83rd Ave.). Plans call for the clinics to be opened at 50 Safeway locations in Arizona by mid-2019 and then to the chain’s stores in other states, including Colorado.

Pairing Akos’ virtual health platform with AdviNOW’s AI and AR solutions, the clinics are designed to provide on-the-spot care for conditions typically treated at doctor’s offices or urgent care centers, such as sinus infections, earaches, sore throats, rashes, strains and sprains and urinary tract infections.

Patients sit in front of a computer screen and a rack of user-friendly medical devices. AR technology guides them through steps to collect such data as weight, temperature, blood pressure and blood oxygen content, as well as ear, nose and throat images and chest, lung and abdomen sounds. Follow-up questions are asked until the information needed for diagnostic impression is gathered.

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The process usually takes less than 15 minutes. A complete patient report, including a breakdown of possible illnesses and treatment options, is sent digitally to an Akos health care provider. Through a video consultation, a health provider engages with the patient to confirm the AI-collected information, verify the diagnosis, and affirm or modify the treatment plan determined by the system. All details of the visit are automatically entered into an electronic medical record.

Prescriptions and/or test orders are sent by AI to the appropriate health provider — such as a pharmacy or an imaging center — and the billing process is completed. After a certain time frame and depending on the diagnosis, the AI technology checks with the patient for a health status update and schedules a follow-up visit if necessary.

Joe Leyba, director of pharmacy for Albertsons Cos., is set to take part at a ribbon-cutting event at the Akos Med Clinic in the Tempe Safeway on Thursday with Mayor Mark Mitchell, Akos Founder and CEO Kishlay Anad and AdviNOW Founder and CEO James Bates.

“Our vision is that the Akos Med Clinic will increase access to care and help customers experience a one-stop shop for all their nutritional and medicinal needs,” Leyba commented when the clinic plans were announced earlier this month.

Meanwhile, in the partnership with Solera, local dietitians and Albertsons Cos. pharmacists will leverage the supermarket aisles to enrich the material and experience of the diabetes prevention program.

Led by the dietitian, patients with diabetes or prediabetes participate in classes where they sample and discover new foods throughout the store and learn about better-for-you meal and snack choices to help them reach their health objectives. The in-store pharmacy team supports the service by being available daily to help the diabetes patients better manage their condition and medications.

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"Offering this DPP (diabetes prevention program) through the setting of a grocery store and pharmacy is exciting," Donna Dolan, wellness services manager for Albertsons Cos. pharmacies, said in a statement. "It just makes sense to teach patients about healthy eating and medication management for prediabetes in the same place they buy their groceries and pick up prescriptions each week.”

During the classes, patients can ask questions and find out how to personalize their health and weight-loss plan in a way that best fits their lifestyle, according to Dolan. “It's truly customized for each person to successfully, and sustainably, reach their health and wellness goals," she added.

An integrated benefit network, Solera connects patients, payers and physicians with community organizations and digital therapeutics providers. The Phoenix-based company, citing figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reported that an estimated 30 million people (9.4% of the U.S. adult population) have diabetes and another 84 million (33.9% of the adult U.S. population) have prediabetes.

The prevalence of the disease has led a rising number of health plans and employer groups to direct members and employees to Solera4Me.com, where they undergo a quick eligibility screening and then — if at risk for Type 2 diabetes — are matched to a prevention program that meets their needs and preferences, Solera said

"The Albertsons DPP is a great fit for people who prefer the convenience of attending classes in their neighborhood supermarket and who can benefit from the added support of a pharmacist," stated Solera CEO Brenda Schmidt.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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