Meijer Adds Medical Clinics Inside Several Stores to Increase Access to Services

Meijer is expanding its partnerships with healthcare providers and hospital systems, which includes adding a relationship with a health system in Wisconsin and a fourth health system in Michigan, to increase community access to services through in-store and store campus medical clinics.

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer's current in-store clinics are located: Bronson FastCare Clinic at the Portage, Mich. Meijer; Beaumont FastCare at the Royal Oak, Mich. Meijer; Reid Health Ready Care Walk-in Clinic at the Richmond, Ind. Meijer and Family Quick Care at the Normal, Ill. Meijer.

This year, Meijer will join forces with Milwaukee, Wis.-based Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network to open in-store clinics at the Waukesha and Sussex Meijer stores, and Sparrow Health System in Lansing, Mich. to open similar clinics at Meijer stores in the Lansing area. The clinics will offer convenient, affordable access to care for many minor health problems, such as cold and flu symptoms, sore throats, and ear, sinus and urinary tract infections, Meijer health and wellness director Jacquelyn DeBruler says.

The effort is the latest way Meijer is strengthening its commitment to health and wellness by providing its customers with opportunities to lead healthier lifestyles through access to service and care.

"Meijer is committed to expanding convenient access to health care providers," DeBruler says. "These partnerships give us an opportunity to connect local providers and patients, ultimately meeting people where they are."

Illnesses rarely present themselves at convenient times, and these medical clinics provide a great solution for customers, DeBruler says. The clinics are staffed by the partnering healthcare provider or hospital systems' physicians or physician assistants, and offer a variety of clinical and acute care services.

The retailer began establishing these types of partnerships several years ago, which resulted in four in-store medical clinics, seven hearing centers and 75 optical centers.

"We know that access to immediate medical care is very important to our community," says Florence Steinberg, director of business development for Bronson Healthcare. "That means making sure we are doing all we can to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Having Bronson FastCare inside a Meijer store helps area families get expert medical attention quickly and without having to go out of their way."

"Patients constantly praise how quickly we are able to see them and how convenient it is to have us right there in the store," says Melanie Harrison, FNP-C, practice manager for Reid Urgent Care and Reid Ready Care Clinic. "Many patients have their family members do the shopping while they are at our clinic. They also love that they can leave our clinic and take a few steps to the pharmacy to get their prescriptions filled."

Additionally, Meijer partnered with Spectrum Health in November 2015 to open a full-service Meijer retail pharmacy on-site at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich. Spectrum Health has also purchased property from Meijer in front of its stores in Ionia and Grand Haven to build medical centers. Construction on the center in Ionia is slated to conclude this spring.