Walmart Wellness Day is the largest single-day health event in the nation
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 12, 2016 – For
a four-hour period on Oct. 15, nearly everyone in America will have
access to free health screenings, education, services and products as
Walmart stores nationwide host Walmart Wellness Day.
Based
on the impact of America’s Biggest Health Fair held by Walmart last
year, the company is again hosting the largest single-day health event
in the nation with free health screenings expected to benefit hundreds
of thousands of people, some of whom may be taking an active role in
their health for the first time.
The
newly named Walmart Wellness Day will take place from noon – 4 p.m.
local time on Saturday, Oct. 15 in more than 4,600 Walmart stores across
the country. The event will provide free blood glucose, blood pressure
and vision screenings (where available), and product samples and
information on health insurance options. Additionally, more than 10,000
of Walmart’s licensed pharmacists will offer immunizations in all
Walmart pharmacies in the U.S.
Walmart Wellness Day by the numbers:
· Walmart beat five world records with last year’s single-day event for the most:
o Blood pressure, glucose and vision screenings – more than 280,000 screenings were conducted
o Immunizations – nearly 52,000 administered
o Food samples – more than 2 million free samples of healthier foods were distributed to customers
· Nearly 3,000 customers were advised to visit their health care professionals based on their blood glucose screening results
o 1.7 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
· More than 7,000 reports of high blood pressure detected
o About
75 million American adults (32%) have high blood pressure - that’s 1 in
every 3 adults, according to the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention
“The
cost of healthcare in America has risen to more than $3 trillion, but
the health of our customers is something we can’t put a price on,” said
George Riedl, senior vice president and president, Health and Wellness,
Walmart U.S. “As more than 90 percent of Americans live within 10 miles
of a Walmart store, we’re committed and uniquely positioned to providing
accessible and affordable healthcare that helps busy families live
better. Walmart Wellness Day is at the center of that commitment. These
screenings provide customers with a basic, yet vital, understanding of
their general health conditions and ways to improve it.”
Walmart
has conducted thousands of health screenings over the past several
years, some of which may have had lifesaving results. Last year, a
Walmart pharmacy manager in Everett, Penn., reported that one patient's
readings during the wellness event “were so alarming that she went
immediately to the emergency room where she was treated for a
hypertensive emergency. Her family, her doctors, and the patient were
all extremely grateful for Walmart’s clinical intervention. It was truly
gratifying to see how we can really make a difference in patients’
lives every day.”
Products that Help Customers Live Healthier Lives – Under One Roof
“Our
commitment to this doesn’t end in our Health and Wellness area,” added
Riedl. “We have many of the products customers need to start or continue
their journey to a healthy lifestyle, such as fresh produce, apparel,
exercise equipment and wearable technology.”
Walmart
is the only retailer in the U.S. helping our customers live heather
lives that operates its own pharmacies, vision centers and Care Clinics,
and provides a comprehensive assortment of preventative and wellness
products in the following categories: grocery, electronics, sporting
goods, home, apparel and consumables in stores and online.
During
Walmart Wellness Day, companies such as GoJo, Pfizer, US Nutrition,
GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Clorox, Kleenex, Dannon,
Kellogg’s, Mars, Vega will be in-store providing customers with free
product samples. Additionally, Trividia, Bausch & Lomb, Becton
Dickinson, Bayer, 3M, Reckitt-Benckiser, Zeiss, Traditional Medicinals,
Iovate, Equal, True Science, Boomchickapop, Prestige, Enjoy Life Foods,
Voortman Cookies and Amneal will serve as sponsors of the event.
Healthcare Begins Here
For
the third year, Walmart is working with DirectHealth.com to help
customers identify their health insurance needs, compare coverage
options and enroll in the plans that are right for them. The customer
open enrollment program for Medicare and Affordable Care Act plans -
Healthcare Begins Here - will be available Oct. 15, 2016, through Jan.
31, 2017, in more than 2,300 Walmart stores, online and via phone.
To learn more about Healthcare Begins Here and Walmart’s assortment of affordable wellness solutions, visit Walmart.com/healthcare.
