Wal-Mart expands with in-store health clinics

Source: Healthcare Digital

Date :07/02/2008 04:52:38

Retail giant Wal-Mart has taken bold steps into the healthcare market as it opens its first in-store medical clinic.

The world’s largest retailer will be working together in a joint venture with local hospitals, with the aim of providing a quick service for minor illness such as colds, bladder infection and sunburn.

Wal-Mart will partner directly with St Vincent Health System and the company has already signed a letter of intent to work with other local hospital systems.

St Vincent is part of a Catholic healthcare initiative that intends to open four co-branded clinics in Little Rock. Wal-Mart spokeswoman Deisha Galberth said that ‘having the local health system involved will also increase the level of trust among shoppers.’

Aims

The company went on to say they have been taking steps towards opening 400 co-branded clinics by 2010. As well as introducing the clinics, Wal-Mart has introduced $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.

February 7, 2008