Forbes January 22, 2026
Walmart will roll out clinical research sites this spring in a limited number of stores and former shuttered outpatient health center sites.
The retail giant, which shuttered more than 50 retail health clinics almost two years ago and sold most of them, said it’s launching a new business to bring clinical research opportunities to its markets that include rural areas that don’t generally have access to the latest clinical trials.
“As healthcare evolves, it is becoming clear that meaningful progress happens when care starts closer to home,” said Walmart Chief Medical Officer Dr. Emily Aaronson. “The future of health will not be built only in large academic medical centers. It will also be shaped in neighborhoods, towns and rural communities,...







