Healthcare's attempts to "meet patients where they are"

For a long time now, healthcare has been trying to meet patients where they are, instead of forcing them to avail of the care they need at a facility such as a hospital or a clinic. Retail giants and pharmacies have repeatedly tried in-store clinics, only to retreat. Walmart opened its first Walmart Health centers in 2019 and planned 4,000 clinics by 2029, but by 2024 closed all 51 clinics and shuttered its virtual health unit, blaming rising costs and low reimbursements. Walgreens poured billions into its VillageMD primary care chain, but after patient volumes lagged it announced it would close 160 VillageMD locations in 2024. CVS, which operates over 1,100 MinuteClinics, quietly cut dozens of its retail clinics (in California and New England) around the same time. Best Buy Health launched remote-monitoring services (acquiring Current Health in 2021) but then sold Current Health in 2025 and took a $109 million charge on its health division amid restructuring.

These instances make it clear that healthcare, especially primary care, is “a very low margin business”, and many retailers found their brick-and-mortar clinics struggled to make money when reimbursements stayed low, staffing costs rose, and patient volume remained below forecast. The retail-clinic model promised convenience (bringing care to familiar stores), but often failed to generate enough high-margin visits. As Walmart’s SVP of healthcare delivery noted, despite 90% of Americans living within 10 miles of a Walmart, the economics didn’t work in the current environment (Walmart has recently pivoted to leverage their strength in retail data to make healthcare more accessible, through their partnership with Soda Health).

At the same time though, a variety of alternative models have sprouted to reach people outside doctor’s offices. In rural and underserved areas, mobile clinics (vans or buses outfitted with exam rooms) became popular. For example, Dollar General partnered with DocGo to park mobile clinics at its stores, but after 18 months ended the pilot, as only around 1,000 patients were seen in the first 10 months, and many locals simply “passed over the clinic”. Outside-the-clinic care has been validated as possible, but demonstrating consistent patient demand and financial viability has proven elusive.

I recently read about OnMed, a Florida startup pitching a fully-equipped telemedicine kiosk called the CareStation. Essentially, it’s a self-contained exam room that can be installed almost anywhere there’s power. It includes a video/ audio telemedicine link to a remote clinician, plus high-tech exam tools (blood pressure cuff, thermal camera, pulse oximeter, etc.) and even an automated pharmacy drawer for dispensing basic meds.

OnMed’s first deployments were at Tampa General Hospital (in an employee food court) and a few community sites. In 2019, OnMed placed a station at Tampa General that staff used for minor ailments; in two weeks “50 or 60” employees ran through it for colds and routine needs. The machine is HIPAA-compliant, soundproofed, and uses ultraviolet disinfection between visits. Their most recent deployment was at the Hartford Airport, for people who need “care on the fly”.

I can’t really tell if OnMed represents a turning point, or more of the same cautionary tale. The potential upside is clear: a staffed kiosk can avoid the connectivity issues of pure tele-health apps, offer more thorough exams, and open access points with significant footfall (e.g. placing one in a grocer’s entrance or police station). Its model assumes that if you can get high-quality, low-cost tele-visits and prescriptions right in a neighborhood, people will use it for routine care.

Yet, any low margin business model needs high volume to maintain sustainability, and if people are hesitant to trust a machine for health advice (as some have been with mobile clinics) or if awareness is low, the kiosks may sit empty. One difference with OnMed is that it is not a department-store chain trying to rebrand. Its pitch focuses on public health partnerships and underserved markets rather than upcharging commercial payers.

Hard data on usage, outcomes, and costs will tell if this “clinic-in-a-box” is the real deal or just another wave in an unending quest. For now, I am cautiously optimistic and curious as always to watch how it unfolds.


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