Bringing Academic Medical Centers into the Retail Setting

The trend toward more consumer-centric health care is exemplified by the expansion of direct-to-consumer primary care companies into retail spaces such as malls, supermarkets, and pharmacies, which offer patients better accessibility and convenience than they get from hospital campuses and medical office buildings. However, these stand-alone providers lack the breadth of services offered by health systems, particularly academic medical centers (AMCs). Can an AMC offer the best of both worlds by opening clinics in retail locations, and can such clinics compete successfully against stand-alone entrants? The authors describe the expansion of UCLA Health into three malls across Los Angeles County and how these mall-based clinics performed regarding patient demand, satisfaction, and financial success. This method of AMC care delivery reached new patients and linked them to the entire spectrum of care services offered by UCLA Health.