A report says retail clinics may be poised for strong growth, despite the number of openings being weaker in 2012 than the previous year.
There are two reasons for this. One is that operators believe that, in their efforts to add more primary care services and ally with local health systems, patients will keep them in mind beyond the fall and winter, when flu vaccinations and seasonal illnesses result in their highest traffic. The other is that with an increasing physician shortage and more patients set to gain insurance because of the Affordable Care Act, patients will find retail clinics a viable alternative when they can’t find physicians with open appointment slots.