 “The Clinic at Walmart” Operated by Decatur Memorial Hospital to Open on Dec. 21
Decatur Memorial Hospital’s first in-store clinic in the Decatur Walmart to bring affordable health care to thousands of Decatur-area residents
Decatur, Ill., Nov. 23, 2009 – Today, Walmart (NYSE: WMT) and Decatur Memorial Hospital announced Decatur’s newest offering of health care services – “The Clinic at Walmart” operated by Decatur Memorial Hospital.
This convenient care clinic will open Dec. 21in Walmart located at 4224 N. Prospect in Decatur. The clinic will provide fast, affordable access to basic health care services such as check-ups, immunizations, screenings and minor injuries. The walk-in health clinic is the first to be owned and operated by Decatur Memorial Hospital in an Illinois Walmart. The clinic will be open for walk-in service weekdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays noon to 6 p.m.
A second Clinic at Walmart operated by Decatur Memorial Hospital is planned to open in the first quarter of 2010 located at 4625 Maryland Ave., in Decatur.
For busy customers who are seeking affordable, accessible health care, especially during evening hours or on weekends, clinics play a key role in the health care system. These clinics can help keep people out of overcrowded emergency rooms – 10 to 15 percent of clinic customers surveyed said they would have used an emergency room had the clinic in Walmart not been available, while another 5 to 10 percent would have gone without treatment entirely, potentially leading to more serious complications down the road*.
“The Clinic at Walmart is staffed with licensed physician assistants and nurse practitioners who are employed by Decatur Memorial Hospital,” said Ken Smithmier, president & CEO, Decatur Memorial Hospital. “Physician oversight of the clinic’s care is provided by the Medical Director of DMH Express Care.
The clinic’s services are intended to be convenient, affordable and easily accessible. Appointments are not necessary. Children must be 18 months of age or older to be treated at the clinic.
“We are constantly looking for ways to add value for our customers and, with this clinic, we hope to provide Decatur customers with affordable, accessible and convenient health care,” said Jason Farmer, Walmart store manager. “And because Decatur Memorial Hospital is a well-known and respected health care provider in the community, our customers will benefit from the convenience of prompt, professional care from an organization that they know and trust.”
In addition to enhancing the ‘one-stop shopping’ experience for customers, The Clinic at Walmart offers prompt access to affordably priced acute and preventive care for common health ailments treatable without urgent or emergency care, including sore throats, sinus infections, upper respiratory infections, earaches, bladder infections, insect bites and stings, cholesterol screening, blood sugar testing, vaccinations, drug screening and routine physicals.
With the opening of this clinic, there will be 53 in-store clinics in Walmart stores across 14 states. For further information about “The Clinic at Walmart”, please visit www.walmart.com/clinics.
* Survey results based on an exit survey of 14, 479 patients following visits to a clinic in Walmart between January 2006 and November 2006. Surveys were conducted by the clinic operators.
About Decatur Memorial Hospital
Decatur Memorial Hospital (DMH) is a not-for-profit hospital that has been providing medical care since 1916, for the residents of Central Illinois. DMH encompasses twelve state-of-the-art Centers of Excellence which focus on the cutting edge of medicine today and provides the community with award-winning quality health care. By combining a highly trained staff of professionals with the latest advancements in technology, DMH furthers its mission of improving the health of the people of Central Illinois.
About Walmart
Every week, millions of customers visit Walmart stores, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Club locations across America or log on to its online store at www.walmart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Walmart is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $378 million to local communities in the United States. More information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com.
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