Walmart Health doubling in size, offering imaging, Epic EHR integration in 2 new states
Walmart Health is doubling in size, offering X-ray imaging and other healthcare services in two new states, the retail giant announced Thursday.
Beginning in 2024, the store’s clinical side will begin growing “in a big way,” adding 28 new locations. The expansion includes Walmart Health’s first forays into Missouri and Arizona, also deepening its presence in Texas, David Carmouche, MD, senior VP of omnichannel care, said March 2.
By the beginning of 2025, Walmart Health will have 75 clinic locations across the U.S.
“We know the cost and convenience of healthcare remains a barrier for many Americans, which is why we decided to bring our one-stop model of healthcare to these communities,” he said in an announcement “With 90% of the U.S. population located within 10 miles of a Walmart, Walmart Health is in a unique position to provide quality, affordable health and wellness services where our neighbors already live and shop.”
Carmouche said the Bentonville, Arkansas-based chain has gathered feedback from its customers since launching the clinics brand in 2019. In response, they’ll be changing the physical footprint and layout of centers so “patients spend less time in the waiting room and more time with their doctor.” They’ll be offering more modern technology and equipment, too, including integrating Epic’s electronic health record platform across Walmart Health locations.
Each of the new “state of the art” facilities will stand at about 5,750 square feet, staffed by doctors and offering the full gamut of healthcare services. Those include onsite X-ray imaging, lab work, primary care, behavioral health audiology and Walmart Health Virtual Care telehealth services (the company acquired MeMD in 2021).
The new locations will begin opening in the first quarter of 2024. Additions will include 10 in the Dallas area, eight around Houston, six in metro Phoenix and four in the Kansas City, Mo., area. Walmart Health currently has 32 centers and is adding another 17 in Florida this year. All told, the retailer operates nearly 4,700 supercenters in the U.S.
“As we have from the beginning, we will continue to grow and adapt at a responsible pace to better serve the communities where we live and work,” Carmouche said in the announcement.
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.