Travelers passing through the Nashville International Airport can now purchase health care items as well as obtain the services of a health care provider at CareHere.

Nashville International Airport is now home to the first airport-based, primary-care clinic and retail location in the country, providing basic health services for the nearly 5,000 workers and 9 million annual travelers passing through the city.

CareHere, a Brentwood-based company, operates about 100 on-site medical clinics around the country, with their traditional model operating on work-site environments. The new location at the airport, however, is a first for the company.

“If it goes well, we are hoping it is something other airports would be interested in pursuing as well,” co-founder Ben Baker says of the facility, which opened in July. “There are a large number of people who basically live in airports Monday through Friday and they don’t go home until the weekends.

“If they are between flights or have a layover, we can do a physical. Travelers who may have forgot medications or are traveling extensively and need some kind of care, we can address those acute care needs as well as chronic care needs like diabetes.”

Emily Richard, assistant director of corporate communications and government relations for Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, says they have been wanting to do this for years, but that it took some time to do it right, especially since the clinic is located on the secure side of the airport.

“For frequent travelers or people traveling with children, there are a lot of times you could take advantage of a medical clinic,” she says. “And they use electronic medical records, so it is designed for travelers. They can email your pharmacy and if you are heading to Denver it can be waiting for you when you arrive. It is a very convenient.”

CareHere is staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants, as well as a physician who rotates through the clinic. It accepts insurance as well as cash.

“It is set up to be as convenient as possible,” Baker says.