JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local primary care practice’s mission is to make health care easier. But it’s instead become difficult for Village Medical Patients now left with just a month to find a doctor.
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The company announced it is pulling out of the Jacksonville market after it started opening primary care practices in Feb. 2022. According to a press release sent then, the openings would create 295 full-time jobs.
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Cindy Johnson was a patient there after she was forced to find a doctor two years ago.
“[Finding a new doctor] was very time-consuming and very frustrating,” she said. “[Village Medical] was a very good model for what people need for day-to-day medical care.”
Now she’s on the hunt yet again for a doctor. She got a letter in the mail Nov. 20 stating, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our practice.”
All nine Jacksonville locations will close by Jan. 5.
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In a statement, a representative told Action News Jax, “After careful consideration and analysis, we have made the decision to exit the Jacksonville market. High-quality care for our patients is always our top priority and we are working to ensure this is a smooth transition for them. We are committed to helping our teams during this transition and we are working diligently to care for our patients during this transition.”
Patients are being told to contact their insurance company for help identifying in-network doctors. Medicare patients can visit www.medicare.gov/care-compare/ for help. Village Medical is also working to get prescriptions refilled before Jan. 5.
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According to reports, Walgreens plans to close 60 Village Medical clinics nationwide as part of a plan to cut one billion dollars in costs.
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