Wal-Mart expanding in-store health clinics.
By The Associated Press
Wal-Mart Stores 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 last week 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.
Wal-Mart is among several supermarket and drugstore 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 sunburns.
About 7% 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.
This sounds like it might be an interesting component to some of the questions about rising health care costs.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering why Wal-Mart hasn't moved into the pre-school and day care business. They have school supplies and lunch available. Maybe the health clinic will be followed by the pre-school and day care centers.
Who knows, may K-12 will follow. Graduates would be well trained for their pre-globalism careers.