Walgreens touts clinics on tour

DEERFIELD, Ill. Walgreens kicked off an expanded 2008 Take Care Health Tour this week that will hit 300 cities, cover more than 240,000 miles and provide more than $35 million in free health screenings and services, the company revealed.

The expanded 2008 program features 10 customized traveling education and health-screening vehicles, compared to the four-vehicle tour in 2007. This is the tour’s fourth year of crossing the country.

Walgreens and its Take Care clinic division will offer patients six free screenings, including total cholesterol levels, blood pressure, bone density, glucose levels, waist circumference and body mass index. The services are worth more than $115 in value, the company asserts. Patients will be served on a walk-in, no-appointment basis.

“You can’t put a price on wellness, so ‘free’ sounded pretty good to us,” said Walgreens president Greg Wasson. “This tour will provide better health in communities across the country, particularly in areas most in need of affordable health care.

“This is an exciting year for the tour because we’re expanding our commitment to keeping people well and in control of their health,” Wasson added.

Walgreens predicts the 12-month tour will provide 1.5 million screenings, valued at more than $35 million. After receiving results, visitors are encouraged to see their doctor regarding any concerns.

Participating sponsors of the Walgreens Take Care Health Tour include Eli Lilly and Company; LifeScan, the maker of the OneTouch glucose monitoring system; Johnson & Johnson; GlaxoSmithKline; and Procter & Gamble.