Walmart clinics?? Buy your milk and get your flu shot all in the same place?

I was in my local Wal-Mart today and noticed some construction going on next to the eye center. I asked what was going there and was a little amazed at her reply, a clinic

Now it just doesnt sound right to bring sick people into a grocery store. Wal-mart IMO should NOT have a clinic inside. Its bad enough with all the sick people that shop there, now they can wait around coughing or bleeding at the local wal-mart. This to me is just absolutely stupid! Who thinks of this crap honestly. How is that safe? Doctors offices dont belong in Wal-Marts. Does anyone already have these in their Wal-Marts?





So no appointment needed?? Well that will make for lines more than likely of sick people standing around waiting to be seen. I know I DONT want to see people who are sick standing around waiting in Wal-Mart while I try to buy my food. Talk about losing ones appetite. So what does everyone here think? Am I looking at this wrong or is it wrong to have these in Wal-Mart?

walmart

walmart clinics

coxhealth thru wal mart

I think it's a brilliant idea - it will give a whole host of social demographics access to good medical care.

If a mall, or shopping centre is a community hub, and these places are open late at night, so people dont have to impact on their jobs...then fantastic.


One of the companies operating these clinics is NuPhysicia - it specialises in telemedicine.

Effectively, you could access a top cardiologist via webcam...from walmart. All at a fraction of the cost of 'normal' physician/patient engagement.

I love the idea - it is allowing expertise to be accessible to some of the least catered for demographics.

reply to post by chillpill

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Yes but I dont want to be in a store that sells FOOD where people are sick waiting in line to be seen. Shopping malls are different they are not a grocery store. Yes it helps those in need but why not do it in another location besides Wal-Mart. Why not have a separate building for these clinics. I will not be shopping at Wal-Mart when this is open. I'll pay more and go to Publix. I am a bit of a germ freak so this may just be me. The employees there didnt seem to thrilled either at the new addition.

Well, we will just have to agree to disagree...

I take your point that it's unpleasant to see ill people in a foodstore...but I see loads of people with coughs, colds, warts...B.O., halitosis in supermarkets...and that's just the staff.

Wherever people congregate in large numbers, then the risk of infection increases. This is especially true with large volumes of people moving through the places just for a short time.

Supermarkets are so very aware of the 'worth' of their retail space, and the consumer experience that I am pretty sure they will have thought of it.

I think it's a clever idea - in the UK they run drop in clinics in some of the train stations. It's medicine on demand. It works well...I used one a couple of times when I was in London.

It was affordable, convenient and good quality. I would use a supermarket doctor if I had an ache or a pain or needed some intervention...

It's all a matter of personal taste - you've gotta work out if Walmart will miss you

Walmart needs to work out if it will bring in more of its target market - I think it will.

I also hope they start to look at how they can effect great financial products, etc.for their clients.

They have the space, they have the footfall..they just need to continue to make life as 'convenient' as the can for a time-starved society.

Love the post - and the Avatar - btw.

Bestest!

I want them to caught all over my food. Makes me stronger..
A side entrance or in the rear like the auto would fix most issues.
Hope they get it working to a point where people get in and out fast like the rest of Wal-Mart shopping experience. If Wal-Mart can help drive down health care costs then it's capitalistic and good. They took over a big chunk of the eye care and my personal experience with getting contacts is OK. (They price match so get your lens’s quote from Sam’s Club for 50% off)

So nobody else sees how unclean this is to be in a store where food is sold?? Am I the only one who is a neat freak and doesnt want sick people with all kinds of ailments waiting in line while I shop. Oh well, guess my Wal-Mart run ends when this opens. I dont hospitals or clinics so the last place I want to see one is where I buy my food.

reply to post by mblahnikluver

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I'm going to have to agree with you. I don't like this taking place in grocers either, though I see why it does given most of these stores have pharmacies within them.

A week or two ago I went shopping (Safeway) and there was a booth/table set up right inside the door - a person had to walk right by it in order to get into the store... talk about marketing (and germs, ugh!)... It didn't last long though, the supply ran out! However, the city is supposed to get another shipment in a week or so, I expect to see them set up again.

[edit on 2-11-2009 by LadySkadi]

I don't like the idea of sick people waiting in line by the bunches in a supermarket to see a doctor that will more than likely be overwhelmed and will certainly be more concerned with quantity, not quality.

I personally think this is a pretty f'd up way for walmart to make more money.

Imagine the amount of people lining up with the flu/swine flu....In WALMART. No, I'd rather not.

-Dev

I too see nothing wrong with it and think that it could be a very good idea. As far as people standing in line and such ... These types of areas are usually located at the front of the store, away from the grocery section. Also, many of these places that I have seen, have their own entrance from the outside of the building.

None of my local Wal-Marts have a clinic yet, but they do have some odd mini-stores. Hair Salon, Eye Doctor, Bank branches, Aroma-therapy/massage therapy, restaraunts, ebay store, and chiropractors .. that's about all i can think of at the moment.

I think it will help out a lot of people who can not afford conventional health care providers and at the same time .. It could make same of those companies rethink their prices which could help lower some already highly over priced care.

S&F for Wal-Mart

[edit on 2-11-2009 by Detailed Perfection]

reply to post by Detailed Perfection

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Well this does not have a front entrance and I dont want to see sick people possibly bleeding standing in a line or more than likely wandering Wal-Mart while they wait. No thanks! Wal-Mart IMO has gotten out of control. I miss all the little mom and pop stores there use to be and now it seems everything including health care is now available there. Sorry no thanks... You can have all the sick vibes floating around in your Wal-Mart, not me. I will not shop at that one when it opens. I will go to another or Publix for my foods.

As for it being at the front of the store sorry doesnt matter IMO. Why not build a separate building next to Wal-Mart? There is plenty of space. The parking if this works and people go while be horrendous. Its already hard to find any available spaces now. I can only imagine the madhouse the parking lot will be as well as the front of the store.