Business
Company plans truck stop clinics
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 5, 2007
The store-based retail clinic concept is spreading.
John McElligott, MD, a Knoxville, Tenn., internist, has opened the first of a planned chain of Professional Drivers Medical Depots at a Petro truck stop in his hometown.
The company has clinics under construction at four truck stops in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois and North Carolina.
PDMD has nurse practitioners on site and physicians on call to handle minor medical cases, as well to refer drivers to local hospitals as needed. PDMD also offers truck driver-specific services such as Dept. of Transportation physicals, drug screening and blood-alcohol testing. PDMD is offering services to drivers individually, or through corporate fleets that are contracting with PDMD.
Dr. McElligott has worked in the trucking industry for nearly two decades, including as medical director of a fleet and co-founder of an occupational health clinic.
He told trucking industry publications that his practice will be cash-only and will be open to truckers only. He said past truck stop clinics have failed because they got involved with insurers.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/02/05/bibf0205.htm.