Walmart to Open 5 Health Centers in Florida

Walmart said it's opening five Supercenter-adjacent Walmart Health centers in North and Central Florida in the next two months, marking Walmart Health's debut in the Sunshine State.

Florida's first Walmart Health center opened April 5 at 7075 Collins Road in Jacksonville, according to a news release from the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer. Three additional locations are scheduled to open this month in Middleburg, Poinciana/Kissimmee and Sanford, Fla.; the state's fifth Walmart Health center is slated to open in Wesley Chapel in early June. 

The centers, which will be open Monday through Saturday with telehealth options available on Sunday, will offer primary care, laboratory services (including X-rays); EKG testing; behavioral health care; and dental, optical and hearing services. 

Walmart opened its first Walmart Health center in Dallas, Ga., in 2019, and the retailer announced its plans to expand into Florida, targeting the Jacksonville area first, in July 2020. With the opening of the Jacksonville center, Walmart now operates 21 health centers in Florida, Georgia, Arkansas and Illinois. 

Walmart SVP of Omnichannel Care Offerings David Carmouche said in the company's news release that the opening of the Florida health centers will help make healthcare more accessible in areas where the need is great.

"With only one primary care doctor per 1,380 Florida residents, these Walmart Health centers will help address the demand for care in three major cities in the Sunshine State, delivering quality healthcare at the right time in the right setting, right next to where many Floridians get their groceries," Carmouche said. 

Walmart noted Florida's accelerated population growth since 2010; according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Florida's population climbed 14.6% from 2010 to 2020—almost double the 7.4% recorded nationally.