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Retail Clinics Provide 12- week Plan to Help People Kick the Habit HOUSTON (August 2, 2007) – RediClinic LLC announced today that it is offering an affordable new program to help people quit smoking. The four-step “Stop Smoking for Good™” plan, available at RediClinics nationwide, includes, when appropriate, a medication that is clinically shown to double a person’s chance of successfully quitting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 438,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths, each year. Of the 45 million U. S. adult smokers, 70 percent report that they want to quit completely, but for various reasons never do. “There is a critical need for more effective, affordable and convenient ways to help people quit smoking,” said Web Golinkin, president and chief executive officer of RediClinic. “RediClinic’s new ‘Stop Smoking for Good’ plan can significantly increase the chances of successful cessation and puts a nicotine-free life within reach.” The new RediClinic “Stop Smoking for Good” plan offers significant health benefits to consumers: The program includes a medication, prescribed when appropriate by RediClinic’s nurse practitioners, that is clinically shown to double a person’s chances to successfully stop smoking. These results are based on a 4-week quit rate study of smokers on medication versus no medication. • RediClinic’s certified nurse practitioners provide regular physical examinations, counseling and support, as well as educational materials and medication, if appropriate, to help people successfully stop smoking. • The total cost of the four-step, 12-week plan is only $128, not including the cost of any medication that may be prescribed. This is significantly lower than the cost of other smoking cessation programs. • RediClinic nurse practitioners are available beyond the 12-week program for ongoing support if necessary. “Our goal is to continuously offer accessible and affordable new healthcare services that put people in the driver’s seat when it comes to managing their health,” said Golinkin. 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, flu shots and other vaccinations, and back-to-school physical exams. 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 visits are now covered by the four largest commercial health insurance carriers – CIGNA, Aetna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare – as well as by Medicare and a growing number of regional carriers. However, those 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 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. RediClinic LLC Since 1989, RediClinic (formerly known as InterFit Health) has provided people with easy access to high-quality, affordable healthcare services. Today the company is a leader in convenient care and is the largest provider of retail health screening services in the United States. The company also provides health screenings, flu shots and other health-related services to major employers. For more information, visit www.rediclinic.com. Revolution Clinics Revolution Clinics is an affiliate of Revolution Health Group, a leading consumer-centric health company. Revolution Health strives to empower consumers by putting them at the center of the health system, building innovative health-related companies through investments, acquisitions and partnerships. The company’s strategy is to create businesses and products that provide greater consumer choice, control and convenience in three key healthcare sectors affected by the rapid growth of the Internet and defined-contribution health plans: content, coverage and care. |
