CT health care system launching major collaboration to broaden primary care access across state

Hartford Courant – Thursday, May 7, 2026
By Helen I. Bennett

For Dr. Prem Kumar, president of Hartford HealthCare Medical Group, the launch of a new collaboration that will bring in-network adult primary care to Connecticut MinuteClinic locations is about giving “patients care when they need care.”

The new collaboration between MinuteClinic, the medical clinic inside certain CVS Pharmacy locations, and Hartford HealthCare, is intended to expand convenient access to “high-quality primary care for residents across Connecticut,” according to the health system.

The collaboration comes amid a health care scenario in the state in which one of the biggest issues patients face is the availability of appointments, Kumar said.

“We should make primary care accessible to everybody,” Kumar said.

The care will be at Connecticut MinuteClinic locations that accept many insurance plans accepted by Hartford HealthCare, according to the health care system, which serves about 28,000 patients a day.

Jon Thiboutot, president of Retail Health at CVS Health, said that adult “patients will have more options for primary and preventive care” at more than 20 MinuteClinic locations and that “flexibility can make a real difference for people balancing work, family, and other responsibilities.

“This collaboration is especially important given the projected shortage of primary care physicians in Connecticut. By working together, we can help address that gap and make care more accessible,” Thiboutot said. “Patients also benefit from access to Hartford HealthCare’s specialists and hospital services when needed. That coordination is supported through shared electronic medical records, which helps ensure care is more connected and seamless.”

Thiboutot said primary care has been offered to eligible patients in Connecticut since last summer and that through the collaboration with Hartford HealthCare, “we can now reach even more patients across the state.

“At its core, this is about access. Together, we are expanding high‑quality primary and preventive care for people across Connecticut. By joining the Hartford HealthCare network, we are helping patients overcome real barriers such as long wait times and limited appointment availability, making it easier to get care when they need it,” he said. “Partnering with a trusted, well‑established health system like Hartford HealthCare supports our advanced practice provider‑led model and helps further establish trust and engage patients seeking a primary care provider.”

There are now 20 MinuteClinic locations in Connecticut, and according to Hartford Healthcare, the collaboration means patients will be able to access same-day or next-day appointments, as well as evening and weekend hours.

A significant aspect of the collaboration is that not just changes to availability and access to get primary care, but that it will be connected, or clinically integrated, with Hartford HealthCare, Kumar said.

“If people wait for their health care to be managed, that is when they get sick,” he said. “We have created [a system] that makes sure all of your health conditions are managed.”

“We hold all of our practices to the highest level,” Kumar said.

The care coordination is possible through an “interoperable electronic health record,” and brings seamless communication between MinuteClinic providers and Hartford HealthCare clinicians, according to the health care system.

Increased access to care

In describing what a patient experience at the retail location might look like, Kumar said many already use the location to pick up prescriptions, some with a chronic disease, and “we want patients to be connected to an advanced practitioner.”

It should be a very interconnected experience for the patient, he said. “The more we are able to do that, we are improving the health and welfare of Connecticut.”

“We can coordinate, we can move the patient to the right place at the right time,” Kumar said. “The patient is in the ecosystem of Hartford HealthCare in order for their condition to be managed.”

Thiboutot, responding to questions posed by the Courant, said that patients who choose MinuteClinic as their primary care provider will have an annual preventive exam and providers do the recommended screenings.

“From there, patients can rely on MinuteClinic for ongoing support, including care for acute needs, chronic condition monitoring, and preventive services. Through this collaboration, MinuteClinic primary care patients have access to Hartford HealthCare’s hospitals, specialists, diagnostic services, imaging, and specialty labs,” Thiboutot said. “Of course, patients are free to choose where they receive their follow-up care, and this connection makes referrals and care coordination easier when additional services are needed. Between visits, patients can also connect digitally with their MinuteClinic care team and receive outreach from population health coordinators.”

Thiboutot said the model is “comparable to a traditional primary care experience and is designed to deliver ongoing, continuous care over time that helps to improve overall health outcomes.”

He said MinuteClinic, “is not a trend but an established model. Today, more than 65 percent of MinuteClinic locations offer adult primary care across 16 states and markets through health system and payer collaborations.

“Many of the patients we serve either do not have a primary care provider or have not seen one in years. We are seeing strong enrollment, high patient satisfaction, and meaningful progress in closing gaps in care,” he said.

Thiboutot noted the training that’s been done and care processes “that enable nurse practitioners and physician assistants to act as primary care providers, managing patients over time with a strong focus on prevention, chronic condition management, and overall health maintenance.”

He said care is supported by:

• Expanded care teams
• The team may include nurses and population health coordinators,
• Regular team huddles,
• Enhanced technology, such as Epic, an Electronic Health Record system for primary care, “which includes tools such as patient registries that help track care, identify gaps, and proactively manage patient health between visits.”
• Primary care at MinuteClinic is by nurse practitioners and physician assistants who provide ongoing, preventive care.

Thiboutot said preventive care includes annual visits, screenings, and managing chronic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Kumar also noted that “Ideally when you are directing patients to clinics, you are directly them to lower cost settings. The cost of care is a very important aspect, he said. As to care coordination, Hartford Healthcare “believed we offer the highest quality of services” but “people are free to go anywhere.” he said.

According to Hartford Healthcare, there is research that shows people who have an ongoing “relationship with a primary care provider experience significantly lower healthcare costs and better health management over time.”

Jeffrey A. Flaks, president and CEO of Hartford HealthCare, said the goal is to “greatly expand access statewide by allowing for more convenient entry points, more flexible hours, and a simpler way to connect to ongoing and coordinated care.”

The enhancements “will transform how we deliver care. We are fully committed to creating a more consumer‑centric healthcare system. This partnership is an important step forward in helping us improve access, deliver better outcomes, and make care more affordable for communities.”

Hartford HealthCare last year launched a new concierge provision of health care, through what was dubbed “HHC 24/7,” and is an app made available to both existing and new Hartford HealthCare patients. It offers service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The system also is amid a $1 billion-plus investment in Hartford Hospital over the next decade that is bringing in a building boom not seen in the hospital’s 172-year history.

Asked by The Courant about the layoffs CVS has done and how the company maintains trust for patients, Thiboutot said, “We’re focused on delivering accessible, high-quality care for patients and communities. We are committed to this primary care model and continue to invest in care teams, training, and technology to support patients.

“That includes offering same-or next-day appointments, as well as evening and weekend hours, to make care easier to access. Maintaining trust means showing up consistently for patients, providing reliable care, and ensuring they can get the support they need when they need it,” he said.

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