Convenient Care Association Calls Governor Rendell's Health Care Reform Plan Bold Leadership Move.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Convenient Care Association (CCA), the trade organization formed to shape the future of the Convenient Care Industry (CCI), applauds Governor Edward Rendell's ambitious plan to bring health insurance to the more than 1 million Pennsylvanians who are left vulnerable and uninsured.

On Wednesday, Rendell proposed to offer subsidized health insurance to uninsured Pennsylvanians at reduced costs for low-income individuals. The Governor also said he wants to lower health care costs by allowing nurse practitioners to play a greater role in patient care and create new regulations designed to guard against hospital-acquired infections.

"One of the most promising areas of Governor Rendell's proposal is his plan to increase access to nurse practitioner care," said Hal Rosenbluth, President of Convenient Care Association. "More than 141,000 nurse practitioners around the country are helping to fill the growing gap in primary health and preventive care. Nurse practitioners provide high-quality care, many studies have shown, and can prescribe medications in 50 states."

In Convenient Care Clinics, nurse practitioners provide high-quality care for common episodic illnesses at affordable prices. There are currently over 250 Convenient Care Clinics in retail locations in more than 30 states throughout the country, and this number is predicted to increase significantly within the next year.

About the Convenient Care Association

Families need better access to basic care, sick patients need shorter wait times, and everyone needs relief from rising costs. Responding to these issues, the Convenient Care Industry launched its new trade organization in October 2006. In the coming months, the Convenient Care Association will focus its attention on the development of industry-wide clinical guidelines. The CCA has begun to assemble a group of health care leaders who will work throughout the year to create and establish uniform, national, high-quality and consumer-driven patient care performance standards.

CCA Executive Board members include: Don Parker, AtlantiCare Health Services; Kimberly Hodgkinson, Aurora QuickCare; Richard Datz, CareClinic, Inc.; Dean Q. Lin, CareWorks Convenient Healthcare (a subsidiary of Geisinger Health System); Neal F. Krouse, M.D., CheckUps; Juliet Santos, MSN, APRN, Early Solutions Clinic, LLC; Delmy Santiago, Express Clinics, Inc.; Steven W. Cooley, M.D., HealthStop, Inc.; Cynthia Graff, Lindora, Inc.; Brian Jones, MedBasics; Michael J. O'Neil, MEDPOINTexpress (a subsidiary of Memorial Hospital and Health System); Maurice Stone, My Healthy Access; Ronald Bucci, QuickClinic LLC; Dave Mandelkern, QuickHealth; Web Golinkin, RediClinic; Linda Khachadourian, Sutter Express Care (a subsidiary of Sutter Health); and Hal Rosenbluth, Take Care Health Systems.

For more information visit: www.ConvenientCareAssociation.org