Expanding access to affordable primary care, Walmart has opened the first of five new Walmart Health Centers in Florida.
The new locations — in Jacksonville, Middleburg, Poinciana/Kissimmee, Sanford and Wesley Chapel, Fla. — mark the fourth state for the Walmart Health Center banner. Currently, Walmart has 21 Health Centers in Georgia, Arkansas, Illinois and Florida.
All of the new Health Center sites are adjacent to Walmart Supercenters in the Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa market areas. Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart opened the Jacksonville Health Center (7075 Collins Rd.) on Tuesday and plans to open the Middleburg location (1586 Branan Field Rd.) on Thursday. The Poinciana/Kissimmee (904 B Cypress Pkwy.) and Sanford (3647 South Orlando Dr.) Health Centers are slated to open April 12 and 14, respectively, followed by the Wesley Chapel location (28516 State Road 54) on June 7.
The Walmart Health Center concept made its debut in September 2019 at a location attached to a remodeled Walmart Supercenter in Dallas, Ga. Seventeen of the current Health Centers are in Georgia and two are in Illinois, with Arkansas and Florida having one apiece.
“Two years after the launch of Walmart Health, we continue evolving and growing to make health care even more accessible to the communities we serve,” Dr. David Carmouche, senior vice president of omnichannel care offerings at Walmart, said in a statement. “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 health care at the right time in the right setting, right next to where many Floridians get their groceries. We are part of these communities, and we are excited to bring more options for in-person and telehealth care services to our neighbors.”
Walmart Health Centers serve up a range basic health care and diagnostic services in partnership with local providers, including primary care, lab tests, X-rays and EKGs, behavioral health and counseling, dental care, and optical and hearing care. The centers are operated by physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, behavioral health providers and optometrists. On-site Walmart Care Hosts and Community Health Workers help customers navigate their visit and learn about available resources. Patients can make appointments, input insurance information and confirm eligibility at walmarthealth.com.
Walmart noted that the Health Centers in Florida will be the first to use Epic health technology, one of the nation’s leading health records systems. The platform will enable the centers to engage with patients, health professionals, insurers and other stakeholders and enhance communication, personalization and information sharing via a patient portal, the company said.
