Walmart, which last year said it would nearly double the size of its doctor-staffed health clinics, will open its first facility in Texas next month on the way to 70 across the U.S. by the end of the year.
Walmart, which has 48 Walmart Health centers in five states, said it will add 22 new locations in 2024, deepening its presence in Texas while opening new sites in Missouri. A sixth market, Arizona, will see an expansion in 2025 where the company doesn’t yet operate Walmart Health facilities.
“Walmart Health remains focused on delivering healthcare that is convenient, personalized to each patient, inclusive of multiple service lines, all delivered by a community-focused team of board-certified providers,” said Dr. David Carmouche, Walmart’s senior vice president of healthcare delivery.
Walmart’s commitment to Walmart Health expansion comes as Amazon grows its doctor-staffed One Medical Clinics into new markets and CVS Health, which spent $10 billion last year to add Oak Street health centers for seniors covered by Medicare, adds to its portfolio of medical care provider operations.
Meanwhile, Walgreens, which made a multi-billion-dollar investment with VillageMD, has struggled somewhat by expanding too fast and being unable to fill patient panels in certain markets it is now exiting. Walgreens Thursday reported a loss of nearly $6 billion in its second quarter due largely to the loss in value of its VillageMD investment.
But Walmart said its health clinic expansion is more “measured.”
Walmart’s new centers build on the first 10,000 square-foot facility that opened in 2019 in Dallas, Georgia, where Walmart shoppers and patients in the community have taken to the concept.
“As we have from the beginning, we are taking a measured approach to growing our footprint, taking into account the unique needs of each community,” Carmouche said. “We’re thrilled to be expanding into Missouri and deepening our presence in Texas this year, growing our footprint to 70 locations by the end of 2024.”
In the new Walmart Health expansion, the centers will each be about “5,400 square feet, located inside Walmart Supercenters, and will feature Walmart Health’s suite of health services,” the company said. “The range of services include primary care, dental care, behavioral health, labs and X-ray, and Walmart Health Virtual Care telehealth services.”
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