Walmart and the Medical College of Georgia have joined in an effort to provide convenient health care with the opening of The Clinic at Walmart inside the Evans store.
Operated by the MCG Nursing Faculty Clinics, the new clinic opened Monday at the store at 4469 Washington Road.
Clinic hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon until 5 p.m. Sunday
"We hope we can expand the hours even further," said Dr. Lucy Marion, dean of the MCG School of Nursing. Eventually, she expects the clinic to be open 80 hours per week.
The clinic staff will provide care for ailments treatable without urgent or emergency care for anyone 18 months and older, including sore throats; sinus, upper respiratory and urinary tract infections; earaches; seasonal allergies; colds; acute bronchitis; cold sores; the flu; nausea; and strep throat.
Marion said the "convenience care clinic" is needed for people suffering from nonurgent conditions, especially after hours and on weekends when primary care physicians are not available.
"We see that in our ER," Marion said. "There's a huge demand for (immediate treatment) for minor problems."
Nurse practitioners and MCG faculty will staff the clinic, which also will provide valuable clinical experience for MCG nursing students, Marion said.
"That's a lot of practice for students," Marion said, adding that providing clinical experience is the most difficult part of training nurses.
"By opening this (clinic), we created many opportunities."
Treatments for most common ailments cost $55.
Others services, which cost up to $80, include suture, ear wax and wart removal; basic and sports physicals; TB, pregnancy, diabetes and drug screenings; and seasonal flu, tetanus and pneumonia vaccinations.
Marion said the clinic already works with a few insurance companies and officials are negotiating with others to become clinic partners.
Walmart co-shift manager Natasha Martin said she's excited to see the state's first MCG-owned and operated clinic in her store.
"It is a great opportunity," Martin said. "It all goes back to the Walmart motto: Save money, live better."
Marion said clinic staff also can provide referrals to primary care or speciality physicians and recommend community resources.
"We have so many visions about all we can do here," Marion said. "The sky is the limit. Right now, we're just getting our feet on the ground."
Including the Monday clinic opening, there are 47 in-store clinics in Walmart stores in 14 states. The Evans clinic is Georgia's first.
Marion said that other MCG clinics in Georgia Walmart stores are a definite possibility.
"We have been asked by Walmart where we want to put the next one already," she said.
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