Walmart invites public to free health check-up Saturday

For a four-hour period on Saturday, Oct. 15, nearly everyone in America will have access to free health screenings, education, services and products as Walmart stores nationwide host Walmart Wellness Day.

The event is nationwide and will be taking place at the Greencastle store, as well as the Supercenter in Brazil and several stores in Hendricks County, a Walmart spokesman confirmed.

Based on the impact of America’s Biggest Health Fair conducted by Walmart last year, the company is again hosting the largest single-day health event in the nation with free health screenings expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of people, some whom may be taking an active role in their health for the first time.

The newly named Walmart Wellness Day will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 in more than 4,600 Walmart stores. The event will provide free blood glucose and blood pressure testing, vision screenings (where available), product samples and information on health insurance options.

Additionally, more than 10,000 of Walmart’s licensed pharmacists will offer immunizations in all Walmart pharmacies.

Walmart beat five world records with last year’s single-day event for the most:

-- Blood pressure, glucose and vision screenings – more than 280,000 screenings were conducted.

-- Immunizations – nearly 52,000 administered.

-- Food samples – more than 2 million free samples of healthier foods were distributed to customers.

--Nearly 3,000 customers were advised to visit their health care professional based on their blood glucose screening results.

-- 1.7 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

-- More than 7,000 reports of high blood pressure detected.

“The cost of healthcare in America has risen to more than $3 trillion, but the health of our customers is something we can’t put a price on,” said George Riedl, senior vice president and president, Health and Wellness for Walmart.

“As more than 90 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store, we’re committed and uniquely positioned to provide accessible and affordable healthcare that helps busy families live better. Walmart Wellness Day is at the center of that commitment. These screenings provide customers with a basic yet vital understanding of their general health conditions and ways to improve them.”