Walmart Introduces Healthcare ‘Super Centers’

Walmart plans to open additional Walmart Health Centers, similar to the flagship health center in Dallas, Georgia. The Walmart Health Centers feature a wide array of dental care, primary medical services, and behavioral health services.

This new healthcare model is being replicated by Walmart into other areas. The company announced that this month, new health centers will open in Springdale, Arkansas, and Loganville, Georgia. These locations will be the third and fourth health centers to open in the last few months, following the 6,800 square foot facility in Calhoun, Georgia.

The company indicates the new centers are modeled on the 10,000 square foot Dallas, Georgia facility; Walmart shoppers and patients in Dallas have embraced the concept.

Walmart Expands on the Care Clinic Concept

The new Walmart Health Centers, like the first one in Dallas, Georgia, offer many more services than the nineteen “Care Clinics” in Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas. These smaller health care facilities encompass around 1,500 square feet inside retail Walmart stores. The company states the smaller Care Clinics will continue to be an important part of their healthcare options, but are limited in the services offered.

“Our Walmart Health Centers in Dallas and Calhoun, Georgia, have had a real impact in the months since they opened,” said Walmart’s senior vice president of health and wellness, Sean Slovenski.

“People have responded favorably to our affordable, transparent pricing for important healthcare services, regardless of a person’s insurance status,” Slovenski added. “Customers also appreciate the convenience of our facilities offering urgent and primary care, x-ray and diagnostics, labs, counseling, optical, dental and hearing services all in one building. But don’t take my word for it.”

Walmart Follows the lead of CVS Health

The move into health care by Walmart follows CVS Health’s move to open hundreds of “HealthHubs;” CVS HealthHubs include more health and wellness products and services than what’s available in the CVS MinuteClinics.

Likewise, Walgreens Boots Alliance has partnered with several companies, testing everything from Partners in Primary Care Clinics for Medicare beneficiaries, operated by Humana to urgent care in centers attached to Walgreens stores, operated by UnitedHealth Group’s Optum MedExpress.

Walmart Goes Super-sized with Affordable Healthcare

In an interview, Slovenski compared the new Walmart Health Centers to “a supercenter for basic healthcare services.”

The 10,000 square foot Walmart Health Centers place fundamental healthcare services under one big roof. This is something different for the world’s largest retailer; for many years, Walmart has offered smaller vision and hearing centers, dental, primary care, and wellness education in its stores.

“It’s obvious our model is working, but there is much more to be done to make sure every family has access to health care,” Slovenski said. “We will continue to expand, with additional Walmart Health Centers opening in Georgia within the year. Now more than ever, Walmart owes it to our communities to continue the mission of bringing quality health care to those who need it.”

For example, The Walmart Health Center’s transparent and affordable pricing in Georgia allows children to get an annual health check-up for just $20. Lab tests start at just $10 and adults can have their teeth cleaned for just $25. That is regardless of insurance status, meaning even the uninsured can easily afford health services. Best of all, there is no paperwork for the customer to complete.

The issue of health care affordability is one of the greatest concerns in the country today. Saving families money is at the heart of Walmart’s business philosophy, and the Health Centers are a bold move to deliver quality, low-cost health care with transparent pricing. Convenience, affordability, and making life better for their customers is what Walmart is known for.