Walgreens, VillageMD to open 29 clinics in Texas as part of 600 planned nationwide

Walgreens Boots Alliance and VillageMD are doubling down on Texas.

The two companies will open 29 Village Medical primary care clinics at Walgreens stores in Houston, Austin and El Paso this year. The openings are part of a strategic partnership that will make Walgreens the first national pharmacy chain to offer full-service doctor offices collocated at its stores on a large scale.

The partnership is on track to meet its overall goal of opening at least 600 Village Medical clinics at Walgreens in more than 30 U.S. markets during the next four years, with the intent to build hundreds more going forward. The expansion is part of a $1 billion accelerated investment effort announced in January.

In Austin, El Paso and Houston, there are more than 825,000 patients within five miles of a new or planned Village Medical sites at who are over 65 years old, which further underscores the need for quality, accessible healthcare, the companies stated in a press release.

“This strategic partnership between Walgreens and VillageMD demonstrates our continuing commitment to the care and well-being of our patients, and we’re excited to expand our primary care and pharmacy service offerings in Texas,” said Jamie Vortherms, VP of healthcare services, Walgreens. “With the opening of these Village Medical at Walgreens locations, we’re providing convenient access to personalized, high quality and coordinated care.”

Additionally, the companies have expanded their coordinated care model to allow Village Medical patients to access the same type of pharmacy services—including between-visit refills, medication substitutions, and comprehensive consultations—from select Walgreens sites that do not have a collocatedVillage Medical. This program has launched at all collocations and is launching at nine non-collocations in the Houston and Phoenix areas.

“With Village Medical primary care services and Walgreens pharmacy services delivered through an integrated care model, we’re facilitating regular and direct communication with patients, helping deliver improved health outcomes and affordable care,” said Clive Fields, M.D., co-founder and chief medical officer, VillageMD.