PASADENA >> Got an earache, need a blood pressure check or want a vaccination?

Those kinds of medical needs can be addressed closer to home in the near future.

Kaiser Permanente and Target Corp. on Thursday announced they will open 31 more Kaiser Permanente-staffed retail clinics in Target stores across Southern California over the next three years.

The announcement follows a roughly three-year pilot program to test the “Target Clinic” concept in four stores located in north Fontana, Fullerton, San Diego and Vista, said Dr. Paul Minardi, medical director, business management, for Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

During that time, the four clinics saw 50,000-plus patients and of those, about 80 percent were with a Kaiser Permanente healthcare plan and 20 percent were insured by another plan or paid for services themselves, Minardi said.

The charge is $75 per visits on weekdays and weekends, and this would include a teleconference with a doctor, if necessary, he said.

The clinics are staffed with licensed nurse practitioners and licensed vocational nurses.

The next four locations of the expansion will be Hemet, Irvine, Chula Vista and Santee. Beyond that, the focus will initially be on the Inland Empire, although those locations have not been identified. Locations in Los Angeles County would be developed after that, he said.

The medically underserved High Desert area has been discussed as a potential site for a Target Clinic, although no decision has been made, Minardi said.

The Target Clinics are the result of “12 years worth of work and thinking about alternative venues for healthcare,” he said.

The notion that people would want the “hyperconvenience” of having primary care medical services available in a retail store proved valid, Minardi said.

Patients of the Target Clinics can get a one-time prescription fill at the CVS Pharmacy located within the store, he said.

At the Fontana clinic, patients are currently coming in for pediatric care, school physicals, treatment for minor illnesses and vaccinations, said Dr. Timothy Jenkins, area medical director for San Bernardino County.

“From annual flu shots to care for a child’s sore throat, guests in our four pilot stores have told us they appreciate having access to high-quality health care services from Kaiser Permanente during their Target run,” Steve Lafferty, senior director, Wellness, at Target said in a statement.

“Expanding the number of Target Clinic locations makes these offerings available to even more Southern California guests and gives Kaiser Permanente members additional reasons to choose Target’s easy, convenient and inspiring shopping experience,” he said.

The 35 stores will increase Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California footprint by 20 percent, Minardi said. Clinic staff members are assigned to a particular store so that, over time, they will know their patients, Minardi said.

The clinics offer Target customers an array of services that include pediatric care; women’s health care; monitoring and care for chronic conditions including diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure; basic dermatology services; and treatment for minor illnesses including strep throat, sinus pain, asthma, cold and flu, Kaiser Permanente said in a statement.

Current hours for the four pilot stores are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on weekends.