Dollar General and publicly-traded telehealth and medical transportation company DocGo partnered to pilot mobile clinics at three of the discount retailer’s stores in Tennessee.
According to the company’s website, DocGo will set up their mobile clinics in Dollar General’s parking lots. The clinics will accommodate walk-in visits, or an appointment can be booked online, via text or by telephone.
Patients can receive preventative care, urgent care and chronic condition management services for diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
THE LARGER TREND
In 2021, Dollar General announced its plans to expand its healthcare offerings and “establish itself as a healthcare destination.” The company appointed Dr. Albert Wu as its first chief medical officer.
In July, Dollar General announced the appointment of four members to its healthcare advisory panel who would offer strategies on how the discount retailer could expand into healthcare. The additions include Dr. Patrick Carroll, chief medical officer of Vida Health; Dr. Katy Lanz, chief strategy and product officer at Personal Care Medical Associates and former chief clinical officer at Aspire Health; Dr. Von Nguyen, clinical lead of public and population health at Google; and Dr. Yolanda Hill, a board-certified physician in pediatrics and adolescent medicine.
In 2021, DocGo (formerly Ambulnz) relayed its plans to merge and go public with a special purpose acquisition company, Motion Acquisition Corp.
Last week, the company announced its partnership with Redirect Health, a platform offering on-demand, urgent mobile care to residents of New Jersey and New York.
Dollar General is another addition to the many retailers looking to make their way into the care delivery.
Earlier this month, CVS Health led an investment round in virtual psychiatry and therapy platform Array Behavioral Care and, in September, announced plans to acquire value-based healthcare platform Signify Health for approximately $8 billion.
In October, during Walgreen’s Q3 earnings call, the company’s CEO Roz Brewer said the pharmacy retail giant planned to acquire a tech asset as it boosts its ambitions in healthcare. In November, Walgreens-backed primary care chain VillageMD said it would acquire Summit Health in a nearly $9 billion deal.
