Walmart closes health centers after expansion plan
The 51 sites, alongside the supercenters, proved too expensive to be profitable, the retailer said.
Walmart, the world's largest retailer, announced Tuesday the closure of its health care centers, a network it announced last year that it still wanted to expand.
The retailer said in a blog post that its 51 health centers across five states would close. The centers were next to the Supercenter locations. The plans will not affect the more than 4,600 pharmacies and more than 3,000 vision centers in Walmart stores.
Walmart launched the health clinic initiative in 2019 in Dallas, Georgia, with centers providing primary care, laboratory, x-ray and EKG, dental, optical and hearing counseling and services. Many were in smaller towns where customers didn't have access to quality care, and the company had said it was focusing on affordability. In 2021, Walmart began offering a virtual option when it acquired MeMD, a telehealth provider.
“This is a difficult decision and "Like others, the challenging reimbursement environment and escalating operating costs are creating a lack of profitability that makes the health care industry unsustainable for us at this time," l Walmart said it was still deciding when it would close its doors. each center. In addition to Georgia, centers are located in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois and Texas.
Workers at the centers will be paid for 90 days and can transfer to other Walmart or Sam's Club locations, the company said.
Center workers will be paid for 90 days and can transfer to other Walmart or Sam's Club locations, the company said.
Center workers will be paid for 90 days and may transfer to other Walmart or Sam's Club locations, the company said.
Center workers centers will be paid for 90 days and can be transferred to other Walmart or Sam's Club locations, the company said. Health care is more difficult than selling consumer goods like laundry detergent and auto parts, said David Silverman, a retail analyst at Fitch Ratings, pointing to the layers of government and insurance involved.
“Attempts to enter these spaces and some of the failures associated with them really highlight the challenges and complexity of operating in healthcare in the United States” , Mr. Silverman said.
In March 2023, Walmart announced plans to double the number of its health centers. It said that by the end of 2024, it plans to have more than 75 Walmart Health Centers and expand to states like Missouri and Arizona.
In 2021, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase ended their high-profile healthcare joint venture, which sought to explore new ways of providing healthcare to their employees. In March, Walgreens announced it had closed 140 of its VillageMD clinics and planned to close 20 more.
The 51 sites, alongside the supercenters, proved too expensive to be profitable, the retailer said.
Walmart, the world's largest retailer, announced Tuesday the closure of its health care centers, a network it announced last year that it still wanted to expand.
The retailer said in a blog post that its 51 health centers across five states would close. The centers were next to the Supercenter locations. The plans will not affect the more than 4,600 pharmacies and more than 3,000 vision centers in Walmart stores.
Walmart launched the health clinic initiative in 2019 in Dallas, Georgia, with centers providing primary care, laboratory, x-ray and EKG, dental, optical and hearing counseling and services. Many were in smaller towns where customers didn't have access to quality care, and the company had said it was focusing on affordability. In 2021, Walmart began offering a virtual option when it acquired MeMD, a telehealth provider.
“This is a difficult decision and "Like others, the challenging reimbursement environment and escalating operating costs are creating a lack of profitability that makes the health care industry unsustainable for us at this time," l Walmart said it was still deciding when it would close its doors. each center. In addition to Georgia, centers are located in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois and Texas.
Workers at the centers will be paid for 90 days and can transfer to other Walmart or Sam's Club locations, the company said.
Center workers will be paid for 90 days and can transfer to other Walmart or Sam's Club locations, the company said.
Center workers will be paid for 90 days and may transfer to other Walmart or Sam's Club locations, the company said.
Center workers centers will be paid for 90 days and can be transferred to other Walmart or Sam's Club locations, the company said. Health care is more difficult than selling consumer goods like laundry detergent and auto parts, said David Silverman, a retail analyst at Fitch Ratings, pointing to the layers of government and insurance involved.
“Attempts to enter these spaces and some of the failures associated with them really highlight the challenges and complexity of operating in healthcare in the United States” , Mr. Silverman said.
In March 2023, Walmart announced plans to double the number of its health centers. It said that by the end of 2024, it plans to have more than 75 Walmart Health Centers and expand to states like Missouri and Arizona.
In 2021, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase ended their high-profile healthcare joint venture, which sought to explore new ways of providing healthcare to their employees. In March, Walgreens announced it had closed 140 of its VillageMD clinics and planned to close 20 more.
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