Retail health care: gaining advantage by dropping below the radar screen.

There are many examples throughout the country of providers that are getting into retail medicine themselves, and of companies that are helping providers do this. Carolinas Healthcare System, e-Cleveland Clinic and the aforementioned partners of Health Ventures are examples. Orlikoff believes that retail medicine is a key piece in building an infrastructure that is relevant to the future for healthcare providers, and as he often says, "The riches are in the niches." "It's an exciting time for providers," Firestone says, "but they've got to risk doing things very differently, driven by their patients, the consumer."