Publix, hospital team up for unique partnership

LAKELAND — A new collaboration between Publix and BayCare Health System will give shoppers the ability to consult with a doctor and then pick up prescribed medications while they're doing their grocery shopping.

Publix and BayCare have teamed up to launch Walk-In Care provided by BayCare, a service that will be available at 26 in-store Publix Pharmacy locations by the end of the year. The telehealth center features a private room in which shoppers can receive non-urgent medical care from board-certified physicians through teleconferencing and medical diagnostic equipment.

Two Publix Pharmacy locations, in Tampa and Valrico, already have BayCare telehealth clinics up and running.

“Our goal is to improve the health of our community by helping individuals access the right level of care in the right place,” states Glenn Waters, executive vice president and COO of BayCare Health System, in a press release. “Our collaboration with Publix helps us do just that.”

According to the release, the three-pronged collaboration between Publix and BayCare also includes the installation of Publix Pharmacies in BayCare hospitals in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, while Publix stores in Pinellas, Pasco, Hillsborough and Polk counties will feature BayCare HealthHub self-service screening stations that allow shoppers to obtain free health information, including blood pressure, pulse, weight and body mass index.