Walmart health clinic scheduled to close in Presque Isle
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Since 2009, The Aroostook Medical Center (TAMC) has owned and operated the Clinic at Walmart, a health care practice inside the Presque Isle Walmart store.
Other EMHS hospitals have owned clinics throughout central and eastern Maine. Last Friday, however, TAMC and EMHS announced that five of the six Clinic at Walmart locations will close including the Presque Isle facility.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
THIS HOT AIR BALLOON, piloted by Kenny Shumate, floated over the North Street Healthcare facility Friday morning as part of the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest. The health center will see a lot more foot traffic soon as the Clinic at Walmart in Presque Isle will close. Beginning this fall, the hours at The Aroostook Medical Center’s Walk-In Care at North Street Healthcare will expand to better meet the needs of people with minor injuries and illnesses including colds, flu, scrapes, pinkeye, ear infections, and other medical concerns. TAMC has owned and operated the Clinic at Walmart since 2009.
“We opened the Clinic at Walmart in order to provide another convenient, cost-effective health care option for people from all areas of Aroostook County,” said Sylvia Getman, TAMC president and chief executive officer. “What we found is that most of our customers prefer to use our Walk-In Care service at North Street Healthcare, which opened a few months before the Clinic at Walmart.”
Convenient care clinics located inside or near stores such as Walmart and other nationwide chains have sometimes succeeded in other parts of the country for their fast and affordable access to health services. But the extremely low volume at the Presque Isle clinic and the clinics in Bangor, Brewer, Augusta and Palmyra made these Maine-based locations financially unsustainable to operate. The Clinic at Walmart in Waterville, which has seen higher volumes, will not close.
The hours at TAMC’s Walk-In Care at North Street Healthcare will expand to better meet the needs of people with minor injuries and illnesses including colds, flu, scrapes, pinkeye, ear infections, and other medical concerns.
“Walk-In Care is a good option when a primary care provider isn’t available,” Getman said. “It is also a good alternative to the hospital emergency department, which costs more and tends to be busier.”
Starting this fall, Walk-In Care will be open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“We’re happy to be able to say that even with the closing of the Clinic at Walmart, there are still convenient health care options available,” said Getman. “Our Walk-In Care service at North Street has been very successful, and all of our primary care offices are accepting new patients.”
Getman also noted that no jobs will be lost. All of the staff at the Clinic at Walmart have already accepted other positions at TAMC.
