Walmart Teams Up With American Diabetes Association for Walmart Wellness Day

Walmart’s health fair is returning to communities nationwide. During Walmart Wellness Day on June 17, the company will offer free health screenings in its more than 4,600 locations across the country, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. This year, Walmart has partnered with American Diabetes Association to offer support to people who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, one in 11 Americans has diabetes today, and 86 million more—about one in three—are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Following Walmart Wellness Day, the American Diabetes Association will follow up via email with interested customers whose blood pressure and blood glucose tests indicated they may be at a greater risk for diabetes, providing suggested next steps and resources.

“We’re more committed than ever to serving as an open door to affordable, accessible healthcare, and our Walmart Wellness Day program is a key piece of that,” says George Riedl, senior vice president and president, Walmart Health & Wellness. “We know that many of our customers have learned about an existing health problem for the first time at one our Walmart Wellness Day events, and that can be overwhelming. Walmart is proud to be working with the American Diabetes Association to offer even more support to customers who may find themselves in this situation.”

Since its first Walmart Wellness Day event, the company has provided nearly 1.1 million free health screenings to people across the country. These events have helped countless individuals uncover existing health problems, including high blood pressure, signs of diabetes and other potential illness, according to company officials. This past January, free screenings topped 338,000.

“An estimated 8 million people with diabetes are undiagnosed, and when left untreated, diabetes can lead to serious health complications including kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, blindness and amputations,” says Tamara Darsow, PhD, senior vice president, research and community programs for the Association. “We are excited to work with Walmart on this initiative and encourage as many Americans as possible to participate. Knowing your risk for diabetes is the first step to being able to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.”

Future Walmart Wellness Days with the American Diabetes Association are planned for September 2017, January 2018 and spring 2018.