The Little Clinic has a dedicated implementation team to help new clinics get up and running.  The length of time it takes to get a clinic up and running varies by city and state and can range from several weeks to several months.

The Little Clinic hires advanced registered Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants specializing in family medicine to serve as the primary care providers in its clinics.

The Little Clinic offers a comprehensive training program for all of its medical providers.

The Little Clinic deploys a marketing team that employs a comprehensive marketing plan including both advertising and grassroots marketing.  The majority of patients seen at The Little Clinic come to the clinic because of the convenient and accessible aspects of the clinic and the low acuity nature of their illness.

The Little Clinic’s medical providers are careful about only providing care to patients whose needs are on the approved service menu per the company’s Scope of Service Committee.  The Little Clinic NPs will refer any patient who falls outside of this menu to their primary care physician, an urgent care center or an emergency room as clinically indicated.  If the patient does not have a primary care physician, the medical provider will assist the patient in obtaining one.

Since opening two clinics in Kroger supermarkets in Louisville, Kentucky, The Little Clinic has expanded to over 45 clinics in Kroger and Publix stores in six states (Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Arizona).

In 2005, The Little Clinic received a financial investment from Solera Capital, LLC, a private equity firm based in New York, for further replication of its model.

A relatively recent phenomenon, retail clinics are spreading quickly nationwide.  Already, more than 500 retail clinics are open.

While The Little Clinic and the majority of other retail clinic operators are for-profit independent companies, some traditional health care providers (e.g. Sutter, Geisinger) have recently opened retail clinics.

Compared to other health care settings, opening a retail clinic is less capital intensive.  The Little Clinic operates its retail clinics in a small area within a partner retail store; the clinic is typically smaller than 200 square feet.  The Little Clinic’s medical providers aim to conduct 15 to 20 minute patient visits.