Walmart Unifies Patient Health Records With New EMR Provider
Walmart has partnered with Epic, the most widely used and comprehensive health records system, to help customers simplify their health care. Through this single unified system, Walmart Health will engage patients, health care professionals, insurance carriers and other stakeholders while enhancing communication, personalization and information sharing among health care professionals and patients using a patient portal.
“Our vision to provide best-in-class health care, anywhere, anytime includes a seamless experience for our customers, health care professional partners and associates. Leveraging best-in-class partners like Epic and their technology platform will assist us in providing a unified health record across care settings, geographies and multiple sources of health data,” said Dr. Cheryl Pegus, EVP, Walmart Health & Wellness. “The Epic system complements our omnichannel health care offerings — letting customers and health care professionals access care and health records to lead to more personalized care.”
Epic is used by more than 2,000 hospitals and 45,000 clinics. According to the company, a majority of the U.S. population has their medical records in an Epic system. Epic’s online portal allows patients to securely access their health information, communicate with their providers, schedule appointments, and pay bills on their phone or computer.
Epic’s platform is intended to support all of Walmart’s health-and-wellness lines of businesses as it is rolls out, and will first be implemented in four new Walmart Health Centers opening in Florida in early 2022.
“We’re excited to power Walmart’s vision to bring comprehensive, accessible health care to patients across the country,” said Alan Hutchison, VP of population health at Verona, Wis.-based Epic. “Across medical, dental and virtual care, patients will have a unified experience — both within Walmart Health clinics and as they move across the nation’s health care ecosystem. Providers will have new ways to collaborate with patients, payers and each other more effectively, so they can work cooperatively to manage a patient’s care journey.”
Reinforcing its commitment to integrated, omnichannel health delivery that uses data and technology to boost engagement, Walmart Health said in May that it was acquiring MeMD, a multispecialty telehealth provider. The aim of the acquisition was for Walmart Health to offer access to virtual care across the United States, including urgent, behavioral and primary care, augmenting the in-person Walmart Health centers.
During its second quarter ended July 31, total revenues at the Walmart U.S. division increased 5.3% to $98.2 billion, while operating profits increased 20.4% to $6 billion. These gains were driven by an interesting shift in customer traffic and transaction sizes as life for many Americans began returning to familiar patterns during the quarter.
Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart operates approximately 10,500 stores under 48 banners in 24 countries, and e-commerce websites, employing 2.2 million-plus associates worldwide. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
