Meningitis Vaccine

RediClinic Offers Convenient Back-To-School Physicals and Immunizations

RediClinics are in-store healthcare facilities that offer consumers easy access to high-quality, routine medical services at affordable prices. RediClinics are staffed by certified nurse practitioners who work with local physicians to diagnose, treat and prescribe medications for common medical conditions, such as earaches, strep throat and upper respiratory infections. They also administer a wide range of preventive services, including health screenings and flu shots.

RediClinic's back-to-school program includes all required school immunizations, immunization value packages for first and sixth graders, and school physicals starting at only $49. RediClinic's certified nurse practitioners also complete and provide all of the necessary paperwork.

"We are pleased to be able to provide parents with this convenient service," said Web Golinkin, president and chief executive officer of RediClinic LLC. "No appointments are necessary at RediClinics, and with extended weekday and weekend hours, it can be more convenient for parents to bring their children to RediClinic for back-to-school physicals and immunizations than trying to schedule a last minute visit with their primary care physician at this hectic time of the year."

RediClinics also provide immunizations for adults and children 2 years and older. Other vaccines that RediClinic offers include those for travel, tetanus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis and Garadsil, for the prevention of the human papilloma virus (HPV) in women, which can lead to cervical cancer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends the hepatitis A vaccine for international travelers and for all individuals, both children and adults, who are regularly in a daycare setting. While ACIP now recommends that the hepatitis B vaccine be administered to all newborns, for those who did not receive it as an infant, catch-up immunizations should be administered around age 11. ACIP also recommends the HPV vaccine for 12-year-olds, although women ages 13-26 will still benefit from the vaccine. The meningitis vaccine, strongly recommended for those who are college bound, is now also advised for teens between the ages of 11 and 18, according to ACIP. The ACIP also recently recommended that people of all ages be administered a tetanus (tetanus diphtheria pertussis) booster shot if their last tetanus shot was more than two years ago.

RediClinics are open seven days a week (including most holidays) and offer extended hours on weekdays. Adults and children over age two are welcome, no appointments are necessary and a typical visit takes about 15 minutes.

RediClinic uses a proprietary electronic medical record system to document and guide patient visits. This system ensures patient suitability to RediClinic's limited scope of practice and facilitates continuity of care when other clinicians are involved. Patients who cannot be treated at RediClinic, or who need ongoing treatment, are referred to their primary care provider, if they have one, or to other physicians in their communities.

RediClinic treatments (Get Well services) and some preventive services (Stay Well services) are covered by the four largest commercial health insurance carriers -- Aetna, CIGNA, Humana and UnitedHealthcare -- as well as by Medicare. RediClinic's services also are covered by a growing number of regional carriers, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma and Southern Health's HMO, PPO and POS plans in Richmond, Va. Customers who are covered by health plans that do not currently have agreements with RediClinic receive specially-formatted receipts that can be filed for possible reimbursement.

RediClinic operates 17 locations in H-E-B stores in Houston, Austin and San Antonio, Texas; 13 locations in Wal-Mart stores in Tulsa, Okla., Fayetteville and Rogers, Ark., and Richmond, Va.; and 16 clinics located in Walgreens stores in Atlanta, Ga. Additional RediClinics are scheduled to open throughout 2007.

For a complete list of locations, services, prices and additional information on RediClinic, visit http://www.rediclinic.com/.

Revolution Clinics, an affiliate of the Revolution Health Group, a company created by AOL co-founder Steve Case, is RediClinic LLC's largest investor and is providing the capital to support the national rollout of RediClinic LLC.

Keywords: Biotechnology, Gastroenterology, HAV, Hepatitis A Virus, Hepatology, Infectious Disease, Travel Health, Travel Immunization, Travel Vaccination, Vaccines, Virology, RediClinic Llc.

This article was prepared by Hepatitis Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2007, Hepatitis Weekly via NewsRx.com.