Two local Walmart stores are announcing they will host free health screenings this Saturday, July 24.
The events are being held in Hilo and Kailua-Kona from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the Hawaii Tribune Herald.
Dr. Cheryl Pegus, Walmart's executive vice president of health and wellness, said that Walmart started the screenings in order to give customers options, particularly those in undeserved area.
“We are especially focused on reaching customers in underserved communities who may have limited options for health care in their community, outside our pharmacies,” she told Big Island Now. “This is a day for the entire family, and we’ll be offering screenings and services for all ages.”
The Walmart location in Hilo is in the Waiakea Center at 325 Makaala Street in the central portion of town. The Walmart location in Kailua-Kona is in Kona Crossroads at 75-1015 Henry Street in the southwestern portion of town.
Walmart Wellness Day events will feature various health resources, administered by pharmacy teams, such as free health screenings. Those will include glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index and vision screenings. Educational health resources and consultations with the pharmacy team will be available. Immunizations -- such as measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), varicella (chicken pox), HPV, tetanus and whooping cough (TDAP) -- will be offered. And free COVID-19 vaccines will be available to anyone aged 12 and over who has not yet received one.
Pegus added it was imperative that people take advantage of the free health screenings because more than a third of adults have delayed their health care due to COVID-19.
“At least 41% of Americans delayed care during the pandemic, according to the CDC, and that can lead to negative health impacts in the future,” Pegus said, according to Big Island Now. “We want to make it simple for our customers to prioritize their health and catch up on preventive care by offering convenient health resources where they’re already shopping for groceries and back-to-school items.”
Walmart Wellness Days began in 2014 and have provided over 4.75 million free health screenings, according to Walmart.