Walmart Launches Health Clinics In Lucrative Florida Market

Walmart this week begins opening the primary of 5 new doctor-staffed “Walmart Well being” facilities within the profitable Florida market because the retail large seems to broaden low-cost healthcare providers to tens of hundreds of its clients.

Just like the healthcare providers the retailer’s Walmart Well being enterprise has rolled out in 20 areas throughout Arkansas, Georgia and Illinois within the final three years, the Florida services will characteristic an array of main medical providers, pressing care together with X-ray providers, dental and eye care, and behavioral well being providers as a part of a brand new mannequin being replicated into different markets.

“Two years after the launch of Walmart Well being, we proceed evolving and rising to make well being care much more accessible to the communities we serve,” stated Dr. David Carmouche, senior vice chairman of Walmart’s omnichannel care choices.

Walmart’s Florida growth comes as retail rivals CVS Well being and Walgreens are spending billions of {dollars} including extra healthcare providers to present in-store clinics or attaching new main care services to drugstores. Within the case of Walgreens, the corporate is opening a whole bunch of doctor-staffed clinics by its $6 billion funding within the main care firm VillageMD whereas CVS has an array of outpatient expansions within the works from creating in-store HealthHubs with a whole bunch of latest gadgets to forming relationships with physicians to including new healthcare providers to the greater than 1,100 CVS MinuteClinics throughout the U.S. which might be staffed by nurse practitioners.

Walmart’s new Florida facilities construct on the primary 10,000 sq. foot facility that opened in 2019 in Dallas, Georgia, the place Walmart buyers and sufferers locally have taken to the idea. In Florida, Carmouche stated the healthcare facilities might be about 6,500 sq. toes. The Florida facilities will even use the Epic electronic health record system, for a extra “unified affected person expertise,” relatively than every operating on a unique system, Carmouche stated.

It’s an enormous market alternative for Walmart. Florida is already house to the second highest variety of Walmart shops within the nation, serving clients at greater than 380 retail shops and using greater than 120,000 individuals, Walmart stated.

Walmart carried out its personal evaluation displaying an enormous want for main care within the markets the place it has lengthy had retail providers. In different markets, the corporate has seen double-digit proportion development in healthcare providers inside months after opening new Walmart Well being clinics, Carmouche stated in an interview.

“With just one main care physician per 1,380 Florida residents, these Walmart Well being facilities will assist handle the demand for care in three main cities within the Sunshine State, delivering high quality well being care on the proper time in the fitting setting, proper subsequent to the place many Floridians get their groceries,” Carmouche stated in a press release asserting the Florida growth. “We’re a part of these communities, and we’re excited to convey extra choices for in-person and telehealth care providers to our neighbors.”

Walmart stated the Florida areas, which might be open seven days every week, are opening on the dates and within the areas that observe:

· April 5, 2022: 7075 Collins Street (Jacksonville)

· April 7, 2022: 1586 Branan Subject Street (Middleburg)

· April 12, 2022: 904 B Cypress Parkway (Poinciana/Kissimmee)

· April 14, 2022: 3647 South Orlando Drive (Sanford)

· June 7, 2022: 28516 State Street 54 (Wesley Chapel)