News in brief - Dec. 8, 2008

Largest retail clinic opens

RediClinic has opened in Houston what it says is the largest retail-based clinic in the United States. The 926-square-foot clinic features three exam rooms and a separate room for blood draws. The clinic is located inside an H-E-B grocery store.

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Indiana RHIO launches disease effort

The Indiana Health Information Exchange has launched a chronic-disease program that is intended to help physicians gather and organize clinical data that will help improve outcomes.

The program, called Quality Health First, will provide physicians with reminders for patients who need specific health screenings and will highlight patients who require follow-up care to manage chronic conditions. The service also will provide physicians with disease-based summaries of their patient population and comparisons to the physician community as a whole.

The program was funded through a $2 million grant from the Fairbanks Foundation and a $1.7 million grant from the Regenstrief Foundation.

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Aetna chief medical officer resigns

The country's third-largest health plan now has a new chief medical officer, and the departing one will lead the clinical operations of the country's largest prescription retailer, CVS Caremark.

Lonny Reisman, MD, will replace Troyen Brennan, MD, who has been Aetna's chief medical officer since February 2006.

Dr. Reisman previously served as chief executive officer for ActiveHealth Management, a New York-based company that produces a clinical decision support tool called CareEngine.

Dr. Brennan, in his new role, will oversee CVS Caremark's Accordant Healthcare, the company's disease management and clinical information business. He also will oversee its in-store MinuteClinic business in addition to assuming responsibility for CVS Caremark's health care strategy.

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