Supermarkets go beyond selling medicines and healthy foods; fully enter the health area – El Financiero

Dallas, Texas.- The Dallas-Fort Worth -DFW- area will have 10 Walmart Health clinics by 2024 and eight more are planned for Houston next year. Other states will also be served in what could be WalMart’s first formal foray into the healthcare market in this country.

First, as throughout the world, supermarkets included pharmacies on their premises; later opticians and now the large supermarket chains incorporate the services of clinical laboratories.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems in the United States relied on the infrastructure and logistics of supermarkets to distribute and administer the vaccines. The scheme proved to be so efficient in some states that these entities were able to serve visitors from other countries who came to Texas -and other states- to get vaccinated.

The Heinen’s chain opened a new Personalized Nutrition Center concept at the grocery store, which began operations at a Mayfield Village, Ohio, store in January. The center has the appearance of a traditional in-store clinic with a doctor’s office. However, instead of treating colds and administering vaccines against COVID or influenza, the establishment offers advice on food and diets that may also include a diagnosis that determines the personalized nutritional needs of each individual.

The diagnostic panel, which includes blood and urine tests, reveals key health markers in each client’s immune, digestive and cardiovascular systems and helps clinic staff tailor dietary recommendations and dietary supplements for them. This clinic is overseen by VitalHealth Partners, a medical practice run by Heinen’s chief medical officer, Dr. Todd Pesek, who also developed the proprietary panel, which costs $300.

Last February, Amazon closed an agreement to acquire primary care service One Medical, which opened three independent clinics in Dallas, in the Village MD area.

Walmart is forging ahead with its in-store health clinics and said Thursday it plans to open 28 more, including the 18 mentioned above that will serve Texas’ two largest metropolitan areas.

To which six will be added in Phoenix, Arizona and four more in Kansas City, Missouri.

Walmart hasn’t yet said which stores will get the new clinics in Texas, but soon plans to start recruiting for 300 health care jobs in DFW and 240 in Houston.

Walmart, Walgreens and CVS have all started moving into the patient care business in recent years by partnering with other healthcare companies and making acquisitions. Amazon closed in February, as mentioned, the agreement to acquire One Medical who is dedicated to primary care, which has opened three independent clinics in Dallas.

Village MD, whose largest shareholder is the Walgreens chain, has opened dozens of clinics in D-FW, many in areas where health care facilities are scarce. Store pharmacies have been key links in the supply and delivery of all types of vaccines over the years, even since the pandemic began, and now retailers want to be more involved in the primary and urgent care business.

“Everyone is doing their thing, we have a lot of stores in Texas and a lot of associates in Texas and a lot of customers and they trust us. We think they want affordable basic health care from us,” said Dr. David Carmouche, senior vice president of Walmart Health regarding this expansion that they have started for some time.