Grocery Store Kiosks Give Patients Access to UPMC Care

PITTSBURGH – Seeing a clinician is as easy as strolling the cereal aisle of the grocery store for some local consumers. UPMC is now partnering with Giant Eagle, the region’s largest supermarket chain, to offer UPMC AnywhereCare kiosks in the pharmacy area of several Giant Eagle stores.

The kiosks, available for use by anyone in Pennsylvania, regardless of their insurance status, will allow people to connect in minutes to UPMC clinicians for treatment of minor illnesses. The new machines will be located initially at Giant Eagle stores at the Waterworks Shopping Plaza, 910 Freeport Rd., Pittsburgh, 15238; the Waterfront store, 420 East Waterfront Dr., Homestead, 15120; and in the Giant Eagle at 4010 Monroeville Blvd., Monroeville, 15146. The kiosks will be placed in existing private consultation rooms next to the pharmacy. 

“As the name says, we want our world-renowned UPMC care to be available to our patients anywhere, including the grocery store where they might already be looking for over-the-counter remedies,” said Natasa Sokolovich, executive director of telehealth for UPMC. “With UPMC AnywhereCare already available on smartphones, tablets and personal computers, our partnership with Giant Eagle is one more way to make our high-quality care accessible to patients when and where they want it.” 

The in-store locations, she noted, are advantageous to patients because they provide such peripheral devices as blood pressure cuffs, thermometers and otoscopes for those who might need them. Giant Eagle pharmacists and technicians are available to help with the kiosks and devices.

“Giant Eagle is excited to partner with UPMC, a trusted leader in health care, to provide convenient access to care for our customers and the communities we serve. We believe convenient access to medical care is lacking in certain geographical areas and are hoping that by piloting these services in our stores, our communities will receive the care they need at their convenience, including nights and weekends. If successful, we look to expand to additional Giant Eagle locations in the future. Serving and caring for our community has been our mission and the core of our business for over 80 years,” said Adam Zakin, R.Ph., senior director of new business development at Giant Eagle Pharmacy.

Using the kiosk’s video camera, patients age 3 (with a parent or guardian) and older with a variety of non-urgent symptoms, ranging from sore throats to earaches, can be seen within minutes by a health care professional, who will assess the symptoms and recommend a treatment plan—just like in a traditional office visit. But the service is available virtually, without scheduling another stop at the doctor’s office. Clinicians can be contacted via the kiosks during regular pharmacy hours in participating Giant Eagle stores. 

UPMC AnywhereCare is available for all patients within Pennsylvania, regardless of whether they are UPMC Health Plan members. The cost of an AnywhereCare visit varies from no cost to $49, depending on insurance coverage. Prescriptions, if needed, are paid separately by the patient, and are sent electronically to the patient’s chosen pharmacy.

In addition to the Giant Eagle kiosks, UPMC AnywhereCare is available on smart phones and tablets through a free app, downloaded from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. A desktop version is also available at https://myupmc.upmc.com/anywhere-care/.