Posted on 02/07/2008 8:20:43 AM PST by Dysart
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will open its first in-store medical clinics under its own brand name after leasing space in dozens of stores to outside companies that operate the quick-service health stops.
The world's largest retailer said Thursday it will open "The Clinic at Wal-Mart" as a joint venture with local hospital systems in Atlanta, Dallas and Little Rock, Ark., starting in April.
Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart is among several U.S. supermarket and drug store chains that in the past couple of years have begun opening store-based health clinics, which are staffed mostly by nurse practitioners or physician assistants and offer quick service for routine conditions from colds and bladder infections to sunburn.
About 7 percent of Americans have tried a clinic at least once, according to an estimate by the Convenient Care Association, an industry trade group formed in 2006.
That number is expected to increase dramatically, as chains like Wal-Mart, CVS Corp., Target Corp. and Walgreen Co. partner with mini-clinic providers like RediClinic and MinuteClinic to expand operations. The trade group estimates there will be more than 1,500 by year-end, up from about 800 in November.
Wal-Mart has clinics in 77 stores, including nine in Wisconsin and Florida operated by local hospitals. Clinics in 23 locations in Florida and three other Southern states have been in limbo since last month when New York-based CheckUps shut down.
Now Wal-Mart has signed a letter of intent to work with local hospital systems and RediClinic to open cobranded walk-in clinics in 200 Wal-Mart Supercenters.
Wal-Mart has also signed a letter of intent to partner directly with St. Vincent Health System, a part of the Catholic Healthcare Initiatives system, to open four cobranded clinics in Little Rock.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
With Chinese doctors and nurses?.......
We had walk in clinic in Rancho Cucamonga California where we lived 2005-2007. It was GREAT! My son pulled a muscle, burned a hand, etc. The clinic was wonderful. His doctor’s office was in the same building, convenient for follow ups and tests.
Free Enterprise Healthcare for everyone. Demos very very sad
I guess the anti-Walmart crowd (who tend to be the same folks as the socialized medicine crowd) will spin this a Walmart is preying on the uninsured poor by trying to make profits on their health care. (Though they won’t use the phrase ‘health care’ since they’ve redefined that, after the manner of Lewis Carroll’s Humpty Dumpty, to mean ‘health insurance’.)
Actually this looks like the market responding to the rising cost of health care. Too bad the GOP isn’t going to be running Fred Thompson, whose position papers on the issue stressed market-based solutions. (I almost said ‘we aren’t going to be running’, but with the write-in-Fred movement here at FR, maybe *we* are.)
They’re good. Wish we had them here. A low cost alternative for people without insurance.
Might cut down on ER wastage of resources and bad debts for hospitals.
People who can pay will go to the clinic and people who cannot or will not will continue to use the ER.
Abra su boca y diga el ahhhh.
Yeah, the left HATES anything like this.
When the market, not under any control from the government (and thus any control from leftists), solves a problem that they would use to control us,
they are furious.
Regardless of the anti Walmart sentiment, or opposition to free market initiatives in health care, for that matter, this is a major growth area in health care. Let us not forget that competition among these clinics(CVS,Walgreens, etc) will drive down costs.
Who needs HillaryCare?
Voy a examinarle los ojos.
Wal-mart has done more for health care with their $4 generic prescriptions and now these clinics than Hillary Clinton has done 8 years as First Lady and 7 years as Junior Senator.
The Walmart in Valparasio Indiana has had an in-store clinic for almost 2 years now. Seems to be doing well. I’ve taken a peek at their posted prices for visits, lab work, etc. and all seem to be considerably lower that the local hospitals/clinics. I believe it is primarily staffed by NP’s or PAs.
WalMart does. This is part of hillary's payback. WalMart is setting itself up for mega-Billions from hillary's government medical service reimbursements for inferior service at your local WalMart clinic. WalMart is easier to manage then most Doctors.
Yeah, but Wal-Mart is only doing what Hillary!!! suggested during her years on its board. Without her pressure, Wal-Mart’s success would not have been possible.
The “Hy-Vee†store in Omaha had a $53 Mononucleosus “special†on the board like it was the Catch of the Day. Clinics are great but don’t have people who are contagious waiting in the Deli Like for a TB test to process.
I hope you’re wrong about that.
Good....
Maybe all of the illegals will go there and leave our real doctors and emergency rooms alone.
Freeing up the ER should be a positive effect. Despite rumors to the contrary, illegal workers here do have cash to spend on this level of care.
This is wonderful! But, I bet that the Left will seek to destroy it via legislation, activist court action, etc. They will not be happy until health care is dispensed via “official” government channels.
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