bxbomb Posted February 19 Report Share Posted February 19 not a friggin chance would i go....Wal-Mart expanding in-store health clinicsThe retailer plans to roll out 400 clinics at its stores that will be jointly branded with local medical groups.February 19, 2008 -- 13:25 ET By The Associated PressWal-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. That number is expected to increase dramatically as chains such as Wal-Mart, CVS Caremark, Target and Walgreen partner with miniclinic providers like RediClinic and MinuteClinic to expand operations. The trade group estimates there will be more than 1,500 by the year's end, up from about 800 in November. Wal-Mart has clinics in 77 stores, including nine in Wisconsin and Florida operated by local hospitals. Clinics in 23 locations in Florida and three other Southern states have been in limbo since last month, when CheckUps of New York shut down. Now Wal-Mart has signed a letter of intent to work with local hospital systems and RediClinic to open co-branded walk-in clinics in 200 Wal-Mart Supercenters. Wal-Mart has also signed a letter of intent to partner directly with St. Vincent Health System, a part of the Catholic Health Initiatives system, to open four co-branded clinics in Little Rock. Co-branding means the clinics will jointly bear the names of Wal-Mart and its partners and have an identical look and record keeping system, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Deisha Galberth said. Having the local hospital system involved will also increase the level of trust among shoppers, Galberth said. Wal-Mart said this is the first step toward opening 400 co-branded clinics by 2010. Retail analyst Patricia Edwards of San Francisco-based Wentworth, Hauser and Violich said the move will benefit Wal-Mart by giving the clinics added credibility. Edwards said putting Wal-Mart's name on the clinics also fits with the retailer's drive for a public role in health care to counter union-led criticism that it skimps on employee health insurance. Wal-Mart also has introduced $4 prescriptions for some generic medicines. Chief Executive Lee Scott pledged last month to find other ways to help cut health-care costs, including promoting the use of electronic health records instead of paper files. This article was reported and written by Marcus Kabel for The Associated Press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie6 Posted February 19 Report Share Posted February 19 LOLYeah I think they have drug testing in walmarts now too lmao. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolahotass Posted February 19 Report Share Posted February 19 I wonder if the clinic is "made in china" ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonStephen Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 a corporation intent on producing a cheap product, buying for cheap, overpricing, milking out the local economy amongst its workers in order to turn a buck over is gonna be trusted with my health?fuck that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolahotass Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 well i guess its better than nothing. You have to think that most of us that post here have good jobs that carry good insurance. Not everyone is as fortunate. So if they provide a low-cost alternative for people, then i'm cool with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonStephen Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 well i guess its better than nothing. You have to think that most of us that post here have good jobs that carry good insurance. Not everyone is as fortunate. So if they provide a low-cost alternative for people, then i'm cool with it.make no mistake, there's nothing low cost about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolahotass Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 oh i figured it was low-cost. I guess i could read the article posted. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamKrain Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 Well. This is just a bad idea all round isn't it. Cheap medicine, cheap doctors.. what's your health worth to you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidoolongo Posted February 21 Report Share Posted February 21 Will the doctors be censured from prescribing treatments and brands that aren't approved by the corporation, or not reconcilable with their social policies (pro-life, socially conservative)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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