Wal-Mart Expands In-Store Health Clinics

[Marnie]

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will open its first in-store medical clinics under its own brand name after leasing space in dozens of stores to outside companies that operate the quick-service health stops.

The world's largest retailer said Thursday it will open "The Clinic at Wal-Mart" as a joint venture with local hospital systems in Atlanta, Dallas and Little Rock, Ark., starting in April.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart is among several U.S. supermarket and drug store chains that in the past couple of years have begun opening store-based health clinics, which are staffed mostly by nurse practitioners or physician assistants and offer quick service for routine conditions from colds and bladder infections to sunburn.

About 7 percent of Americans have tried a clinic at least once, according to an estimate by the Convenient Care Association, an industry trade group formed in 2006.

That number is expected to increase dramatically, as chains like Wal-Mart, CVS Corp., Target Corp. and Walgreen Co. partner with mini-clinic providers like RediClinic and MinuteClinic to expand operations. The trade group estimates there will be more than 1,500 by year-end, up from about 800 in November.

Wal-Mart has clinics in 77 stores, including nine in Wisconsin and Florida operated by local hospitals. Clinics in 23 locations in Florida and three other Southern states have been in limbo since last month when New York-based CheckUps shut down.

Now Wal-Mart has signed a letter of intent to work with local hospital systems and RediClinic to open cobranded walk-in clinics in 200 Wal-Mart Supercenters.

Wal-Mart has also signed a letter of intent to partner directly with St. Vincent Health System, a part of the Catholic Healthcare Initiatives system, to open four cobranded clinics in Little Rock.

Co-branding means the clinics will jointly bear the names of Wal-Mart and its partners and have an identical look, prices and record keeping system, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Deisha Galberth said.

Having the local hospital system involved will also increase the level of trust among shoppers, Galberth said.

Wal-Mart said this is the first step toward opening 400 cobranded clinics by 2010.

Retail analyst Patricia Edwards of San Francisco-based Wentworth Hauser and Violich said the move benefits Wal-Mart by giving the clinics added credibility.

"Especially among middle- and upper-income shoppers, it becomes more like stopping in at any location of their group health care provider. It doesn't have that connotation of going cheap," Edwards said.

Edwards said putting Wal-Mart's name on the clinics also fits with the retailer's drive for a public role in health care to counter union-led criticism that it skimps on employee health insurance.

Wal-Mart has introduced the clinics as well as $4 prescriptions for some generic medicines, and Chief Executive Lee Scott pledged last month to find other ways to help cut health care costs, including promoting the use of electronic health records instead of paper files.

TOWNHALL.COM

[ladypeartree]

We have had for many years pharmacies , opticians etc in the major supermarkets is this any different ??? I dont know how your health sevice works but it is working well here as you can get prescriptions filled and general medical advice long after our doctors have closed surgeries for the night

[Bubba4J]

Are they going to take over our health care system too

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

I believe that this is a quite rationale answer to the Healthcare problem in this Nation as opposed to the current Socialist system being proffered by various Politicians.

Edited to add;

Have you been to a Doctors office lately? I have, we have really good Healthcare Insurance too, however it is no different than one of these clinics. You come in, sign in to a room full of people even though you have an appointment, pay your copay, and then wait a half an hour to an hour. After that you are taken back to the see a P.A. not even a Doctor. Then after about 3 minutes with the Doctor you are prescribed something and then ushered out the door.

Peace,

Dave

[nebula]

I believe that this is a quite rationale answer to the Healthcare problem in this Nation as opposed to the current Socialist system being proffered by various Politicians.

I was wondering this, too.

Imagine a cheap clinic you can go to for things like bronchitis or ear infections or trying to determine if you have a virus or bacterial infection or treatment for a "minor" injury (needing more than a band-aid, but not needing major care)?

It does seem ridiculous to pay a huge fee for a doctor to look in your ear and say, "Yup, it's infected." "Here's your prescription."

[JustinM]

OHHH, that evil, EVIL corporation! How dare they? <sarcasm>

Why not let Wal-Mart take over the healthcare system in America? They've shown the world that they know how to minimize expenses and maximize profits, while still being able to provide reliable, quality products and services.

[Guest]

OHHH, that evil, EVIL corporation! How dare they? <sarcasm>

Why not let Wal-Mart take over the healthcare system in America? They've shown the world that they know how to minimize expenses and maximize profits, while still being able to provide reliable, quality products and services.

The scary thing is that it might work. Can't see the insurance companies being happy with lower prices, though. They would have to lower premiums after people started screaming about the rates.

We don't have those clinics in the stores in my area yet, but I'd try one if we did and needed something checked out that was more serious than "minor" injuries. I spent a fun filled 4 hours at the doctor's office last time I had to go (this after being up all night at work.) Had to go back the next week because of something I caught while waiting.

[MorningGlory]

Are they going to take over our health care system too

If a goliath of industry, such as WalMart, is cutting health care costs for the consumer I just can't see that as a bad thing. Let's face it, most of us go to the doctor for relatively minor ailments; most of the time. My doctor charges Blue Cross $172.00 just for me to enter the exam room. Then, if there's any other stuff needed, add another four or five hundred. When I hurt my knee, hardly life threatening but painful, the bill maxed out at $13,000 and I didn't spend even one day in the hospital! The costs are so high because of insurance; doctors and hospitals know they can bill through the roof and it will be paid.

[MorningGlory]

Grace to you,

I believe that this is a quite rationale answer to the Healthcare problem in this Nation as opposed to the current Socialist system being proffered by various Politicians.

Edited to add;

Have you been to a Doctors office lately? I have, we have really good Healthcare Insurance too, however it is no different than one of these clinics. You come in, sign in to a room full of people even though you have an appointment, pay your copay, and then wait a half an hour to an hour. After that you are taken back to the see a P.A. not even a Doctor. Then after about 3 minutes with the Doctor you are prescribed something and then ushered out the door.

Peace,

Dave

This must be the universal program....same here.

[peaches]

OHHH, that evil, EVIL corporation! How dare they? <sarcasm>

Why not let Wal-Mart take over the healthcare system in America? They've shown the world that they know how to minimize expenses and maximize profits, while still being able to provide reliable, quality products and services.

yes, they minimize their cost by using sweatshops. i mean, its only rational for a kid in [insert sweatshop country of your choice] to be worked an entire day for maybe a tiny paycheck at the end of the month that he/she might or might not get, right?

i know people like to dismiss this as some radical nonsense. too bad that its fact.