As of Monday, the Walmart on North Belt Highway also offers a health clinic operated by Heartland Health and staffed by nurse practitioners for the treatment of minor illnesses and injuries.
"Health care is getting more accessible to the general population," said Pat Dillon, Heartland's director of retail services. "... Walmart has a mission to get health care to their customer base, and this is a way to do it."
Heartland's clinic is one of more than 80 located in Walmarts across the country, Mr. Dillon added. He also noted that the retail clinic is not meant to replace traditional medical settings, but to provide care for non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries when a person isn't able to get in to see his or her regular doctor. And when clinic visitors don't have a primary-care physician, Heartland will try to connect them to one.
In the meantime, the Walmart clinic aims to offer an option that's quicker and more cost-effective, too, as a retail clinic costs less to operate than a traditional doctor's office, Mr. Dillon noted. Clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. Medicare and most commercial insurances are accepted, and regular co-pays apply.
"Retail clinics have really been coming on in the past few years, and satisfaction ratings are high," Mr. Dillon said. "I think we're going to be seeing more and more of them."
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Missouri Walmart Clinic Staffed by Nurse PractitionersOriginally from: http://www.nursinglink.monster.com/news/articles/13976-missouri-walmart-clinic-staffed-by-nurse-practitioners
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