Back-to-school Physicals at Walgreens Healthcare Clinic

Back-to-school time really adds to the to-do list around here and one of the things on that list is a sports physical for my son. Luckily I got the chance to visit our local Walgreens Healthcare Clinic as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias®. Walgreens has been revamping their stores and in many locations that includes adding a Healthcare Clinic.

I have been into my Walgreens store many times since it was remodeled but I have never been back to the Healthcare Clinic.  It was pretty easy to find since it has bright and distinct signage…and fireworks. Okay, I added the fireworks to the picture below but I really feel that Walgreens Healthcare Clinics are a fantastic idea that provides a useful service to many who need it (like me!). I always forget to get my son his sports physical until right when the school year is starting. It never fails that when I call my doctor’s office they are booked up and I can only get an appointment several weeks out and it usually requires that my son miss a little school to get to the appointment. I know I could avoid this by scheduling early, but honestly, we are very busy over the summer and I just plain forget to do it.

Once we got back to the clinic area I was pleased at how modern and user-friendly the entire process is. There is a large kiosk in front of the waiting area that has two touchscreen monitors that lead you through check-in. I must admit that I loved checking in with a computer. As I mentioned, we were there for a youth sports physical and right now participating Walgreens Healthcare Clinics are offering back-to-school, camp, and youth sports physicals for just $39 (usually $60). These physicals also include a concussion education session. That is a great deal (good through September 30, 2013). Happy mommy here!

As I mentioned in my Google+ shopping story, even though the clinics take walk-ins, I recommend that you make an appointment. This can be done on the phone, online,or even at the kiosk in-store. I called ahead and there were zero patients at the clinic. By the time I got there 20 minutes later we were fifth in line. I guess everyone had the same after-school trip planned that day. The computer let me know how many people were waiting ahead of us and gave us the option to schedule an appointment for later that day or for another day, but we decided to stay and wait. A handy tool the clinic utilizes is the big monitor in the picture below that showed us where we were in line. It also tells you how many providers are on duty.

Since we did have to wait for our appointment we decided to check out the rest of the store. I only frequent a couple of areas in my local Walgreens so I haven’t seen everything since the remodel. I was surprised at some of the products that Walgreens is now offering in the store. There were quite a few electronics products including card readers, CD players, SD cards and more. I also noticed that there is now a fresh food section with ready-to-eat items, fresh produce, and a coffee machine. Wow!  Way to step up your game, Walgreens!

Another thing I love about the new look at Walgreens is the lighting. There are big windows in front and a lot of lighting inside that results in a bright and clean feel. The shelving is also lower so you get a better view of the rest of the store no matter where you are. And did you see the fresh cut flowers? Love it!

I am not sharing any pictures of my son’s appointment because, hey, we’ve got to have some privacy right? Care is provided by board certified family nurse practitioners. The provider at my local Walgreens Healthcare Clinic was knowledgeable, friendly, and worked well with kids. Overall it was a good experience that worked well for our family. Others who may find the Walgreens Healthcare Clinic useful include:

• Families without a primary care physician.

• People who work traditional work schedules (Walgreens has hours into the evening and on the weekends).

• People who are impatient or have flexible schedules. Patients can check the website to see if there is a wait and if not, they can just drop in.

• People without a car or public transportation (there is usually a Walgreens nearby).

• People who want to be seen ASAP and don’t want to make an appointment several weeks out at a busy doctor’s office.

We had fun at Walgreens checking out all the new areas, meeting a really nice nurse practitioner, and of course, buying a tasty treat on the way out. Everyone is responsible for choosing  their own healthcare providers, and I would never try to pick yours for you, but the next time we need to see a healthcare provider and cannot get into our doctor’s office, we will definitely be dropping by a Walgreens #HealthcareClinic.

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Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. All opinions are mine all mine.