Walmart Health center makes debut in Georgia

Walmart has opened its first Walmart Health center, offering an array of affordable, basic health care and diagnostic services in partnership with local providers.

Attached to a remodeled Walmart Supercenter in Dallas, Ga., which held a grand opening on Friday, the Walmart Health center provides primary care; lab tests, X-rays and EKGs; dental, optical and hearing services; counseling and community health services (such as nutrition and fitness); and health insurance education and enrollment.

The clinic has a separate entrance for patients and is operated by a staff of qualified health professionals, including doctors, nurse practitioners, dentists, behavioral health providers and optometrists, Walmart said. On hand to help customers navigate their visit and find out about the available services and resources are Walmart care hosts and community health workers.

In tandem with wellness organizations, the Walmart Health center also offers specialized community health resources, online learning and in-center workshops to educate customers about preventive health and wellness. And available at the adjacent store are a vision center and a full-service pharmacy, both of which feature a new designs geared toward reducing wait times and providing a more seamless patient experience.

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Sean Slovenski, senior vice president at Walmart and president of Walmart U.S. health and wellness, noted that Walmart Health is the first to offer all of these health services under one roof.

“Over the last year, our team has considered how to turn ‘live better’ into also meaning ‘live healthier’ while delivering moments of care to all our customers. We have been prioritizing how Walmart can be a leader in promoting better health outcomes for people in their communities, on their schedule and within their budgets,” Slovenski said in a statement on Friday. “This morning, we opened our first-ever Walmart Health center in Dallas, Ga., working with partners to provide key services such as primary care, labs, X-ray and EKG, counseling, dental, optical, hearing and community health education all at low, transparent pricing, regardless of customers’ insurance status — the first time all these services are in one facility.”

As at Walmart stores, the Walmart Health center focuses on low cost and convenience, offering transparent pricing for key health services and high-quality care regardless of insurance coverage, according to Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart. Patients are notified of the estimated cost of their visit when they book their appointment. In addition, technology streamlines the process to schedule, check in, get an estimate on the service cost, pay and do other activities without paperwork, the retailer said.

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Among the Dallas, Ga., clinic’s services, an office visit costs $40, with annual checkups running $30 for adults and $20 for children. Lab tests start at $10 (such as $10 for an A1C test and $20 for a strep test), while a dental exam including X-rays costs $25. A routine vision exam is priced at $45.

“Today’s launch of the local Walmart Health center in Georgia represents just one step in our commitment to making the entry point for quality health care easier for our customers,” Slovenski said. “We plan to use our location in Dallas, Ga., to learn how best to work with our partners to deliver the quality, affordable and accessible care customers want, with the goal to take the Walmart Health center model to the other communities we serve, starting with our second location opening in Calhoun, Ga., early next year.”

Pet health is also a focus. The redesigned supercenter at 3615 Marietta Hwy. in Dallas houses an Essentials PetCare clinic to provide routine vaccinations, lab tests, microchipping and treatment for minor illnesses for dogs and cats, such as ear infections and common skin conditions. There’s no office visit fee, and the affordably priced services include immunizations as low as $25. Customers, too, can add on and bundle services. Pet medications are available in the pharmacy.

According to Jefferies analyst Christopher Mandeville, a tour of the Dallas store exhibited an “impressive” remodel, including several new department layouts, but the Walmart Health center “stole the show.” The state-of-the-art facility, with about 80 to 100 staff, aims to provide a more holistic health care experience, he said in a research note Monday.

“As is the approach to all [Walmart] initiatives, the concept offers customers high-quality, low-cost care with a broad set of services under one roof, allowing for more effective diagnoses and holistic treatments,” Mandeville wrote. “Care also extends to pets, further engraining Walmart into U.S. families and, in our view, fortifying its position as a long-term winner.”