BENTONVILLE, AR - Wal-Mart is partnering with local hospital systems to open co-branded clinics across the country that officials say will tout greater savings for all involved.
Wal-Mart signed a letter of intent last month with Texas-based retail health screening service RediClinic LLC and local hospital systems to open "The Clinic at Wal-Mart" walk-in clinics in 200 locations, starting with stores in Atlanta and Dallas this summer.
In addition, the St. Vincent Health System, part of the Catholic Healthcare Initiatives system, will partner with Wal-Mart to open four co-branded clinics in Little Rock, Ark.
Wal-Mart plans to expand its in-store medical clinic program by partnering with hospitals and healthcare systems to open 400 co-branded, in-store medical clinics by 2010.
RediClinic provides convenient care clinics, positioned inside retail stores, that include pharmacy services and are staffed by clinicians who are trained and licensed to treat common conditions and provide preventive services in collaboration with local physicians.
Tine Hanson-Turton, executive director of the Convenient Care Association, said RediClinic’s strong partnerships with local hospital systems provides an enhanced model of care – one that is growing in popularity. However, she says, this is just one model of a convenient care clinic, and “no one type fits everyone.”
“Throughout our convenient clinics pilot, customers told us that we are providing a service that benefits their communities. We are confident that our new model of partnership with hospital systems will provide access to quality healthcare services for folks who don't want to wait in a busy emergency room or can't get in to see their physician," said John Agwunobi, Wal-Mart's senior vice president and president of health and wellness.
Areas with such clinics have seen decreases in emergency department use and costs. Hanson-Turton said the clinics see more patients on weekends and after-hours.
During a pilot program, 10 percent to 15 percent of clinic customers surveyed said they would have used an emergency room had the clinic in Wal-Mart not been available, while another 5 percent to 10 percent would have gone without treatment altogether.
Wal-Mart officials say the clinics will promise to maintain pricing transparency and let customers know up front what the charge will be.