Is This the End of the Doctor’s Office?

Medical care and convenience don’t usually go together. But the retail clinic aims to change that by doing away with long waits at the doctors’ office and complicated insurance requirements and forms, all while bringing better care to the uninsured and underserved. But critics argue that retail clinics need better regulation and a stronger presence in low-income neighborhoods, and still others suggest that they could be detrimental in instances where patients need more serious attention Zócalo invited a panel of experts -- including Pro Publica’s Charlie Ornstein, Cynthia Stamper Graff, President and CEO of Lindora, Inc.; Mary Kate Scott, founder and CEO of Scott & Company and a professor of health care business and consulting at USC; and Dev Gnanadev, president of the California Medical Association and chief medical officer at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center -- to discuss the retail clinic’s unique model of care and its implications for doctors, insurance companies, and consumers.