Walmart is extending its play into the healthcare space, opening a second center offering everything from x-ray imaging to optometry.
The retail giant debuted its new Walmart Health clinic last week at the Supercenter in Calhoun, Georgia. This follows the opening of a similar such service in the Peach State last fall. The centers offer low-cost services with upfront pricing. A child’s annual checkup, for instance, runs about $20, with lab tests starting at $10, all regardless of an individuals’ insurance status. Back in September, company officials said they hope to eventually become “America’s neighborhood health destination.”
“We think we can make an impactful difference in affordability, convenience and, most importantly, accessibility for the Calhoun community,” Sean Slovenski, president of Walmart U.S. Health and Wellness, said in a statement. “We have a history of launching innovative products and programs that have transformed the industry and created significant healthcare savings for customers. Now, we’re focused on a solution to provide affordable integrated care that our customers want and deserve.”
Walmart is partnering with several “on-the-ground” health providers to help launch what it calls a “first-of-its-kind” care facility. It believes the Dallas, Georgia, center that debuted in September was the first to offer primary care, labs, x-ray and EKG, counseling, dental, optical, hearing and community health education all in one facility. Staff at the clinics include physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, behavioral health providers and optometrists, according to the announcement. Walmart hosts and healthcare navigators are also on hand to help patients traverse these services, located adjacent to the Supercenter.
Company officials have not shared specific expansion estimates for these health centers. However, in September, Slovenski said he believes the first Georgia store is “just the beginning as we aim to bring quality, accessible healthcare to our customers.” In Walmart’s third-quarter earnings call, CEO Doug McMillon said they’re already eyeing “several more” health centers in the near term.
The Arkansas-based chain dubs itself as the “largest retailer in the world,” with more than 11,300 stores in 27 countries, serving 275 million customers annually. Walmart recorded more than $514.4 billion in revenue last year alone, and employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide
The company also made waves in radiology last year, when it announced a partnership with startup Covera Health to help its covered employees pinpoint the best imaging centers and “avoid misguided and unnecessary treatment based on inaccurate radiology diagnoses.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.