UC Health, Little Clinic partnership extends to diabetes management

That means The Little Clinic will do more than treat minor illnesses, and expand its scope of services to chronic disease management, said Sandra Menkedick, regional clinical director for The Little Clinic in Kroger’s Cincinnati/Dayton Division and a family nurse practitioner.

“We’re going to see return patients,” Menkedick said.

Nurse practitioners that help run Kroger’s retail health locations are already certified to provide diabetes treatment following national guidelines, Menkedick said. But helping patients manage their chronic diseases at a retail setting is new. If successful, the diabetes program will be expanded to more locations and more services could be offered in the future such as hypertension management, she said.

Consumers are demanding health care that fits their lifestyle and busy schedules, said Dr. Richard Lofgren, president and chief executive officer of UC Health, in a provided statement.

“This collaboration allows for one stop shopping without compromising the level of care the community has come to expect from UC Health while you purchase groceries for the family,” Lofgren said.

Nurses at The Little Clinic can already conduct blood glucose screenings to help identify diabetes, Menkedick said. What they didn’t do before is provide treatment. Now, nurses can order blood tests and make referrals to UC Health for patients who do not already have a primary care doctor, according to the health companies.

Additionally, diabetes patients are now able to go to The Little Clinic for regular checkups to monitor hypertension, manage their medication, and track eating and exercise patterns, Menkedick said.

The Little Clinic and UC Health also exchange patients’ medical record information, with permission, which the organizations say is for greater continuity of care.

The service is being tested at seven locations including one in Butler County:

“We’re moving into being more of an integrated partner with the health care system,” Menkedick said.

When the UC Health-Little Clinic agreement was first announced, it paired one of the Cincinnati area's largest health systems and one of Cincinnati's largest companies, the nation's largest traditional grocer.

Historically, The Little Clinic treated patients for common illnesses, minor injuries and vaccinations, and provides physicals and other wellness services.

The deal with UC Health provides extra specialty support for nurse practitioners at all Ohio Kroger stores in the grocer’s Cincinnati/Dayton Division already with an in-store clinic.

UC Health officials last year said the collaboration benefits its patients who can now access health care services at Kroger stores with less wait times, and more convenient hours.

“Patients needing ongoing care for stable conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure can be managed through The Little Clinics where providers can access their UC Health medical records,” said Dr. Myles Pensak, chief executive officer of University of Cincinnati Physicians, in a statement. “In addition to saving time and money, hospital emergency rooms can reduce wait times and treat the seriously ill and injured patients more promptly and efficiently.”

UC Health is the nonprofit hospital and doctor group affiliated with University of Cincinnati, and operates West Chester Hospital and University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Nashville, Tenn-based The Little Clinic is a subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Kroger.