Walmart will pilot a Health Ambassador role over the next six months at five stores serving rural communities, giving trained pharmacists dedicated time beyond the counter to coach customers and connect them with health, nutrition and clinical resources – a test of the food-pharmacy-wellness integration that consumers increasingly say defines the retailers best supporting their health.
The pilot stores are located in:
- Lexington, Tennessee;
- Caro, Michigan;
- Franklin, Virginia;
- Fort Scott, Kansas; and
- Searcy, Arkansas.
Approximately 90 percent of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Walmart store or club, and 4,000 Walmart stores sit in medically underserved areas, where healthcare provider shortages can make even routine health steps harder.
“Health does not happen in one place, and it rarely fits neatly into a single appointment,” said Emily Aaronson, M.D., chief medical officer at Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart U.S. “Customers already turn to Walmart for affordable food and everyday essentials, convenient services and pharmacists they know and trust. By giving pharmacists dedicated time to listen, coach and connect customers with relevant support, this pilot will help us learn how a familiar, trusted setting can make health resources more accessible, practical and actionable for people living in rural communities.”
Three areas of health pinpointed
The pilot initially focuses on three health journeys: diabetes, weight management and maternal health. At each store, a trained Walmart pharmacist who knows the community will serve as the store’s Health Ambassador, Walmart said. The role could include a variety of customer interactions, such as a conversation in the aisles, meeting customers for scheduled or walk-in coaching sessions, walking through healthier choices and grocery list planning, discussing over-the-counter options and arranging next steps. Depending on a customer’s needs, ambassadors can connect shoppers to pharmacy clinical services, immunizations, screenings, vision care, medication support, virtual care through Walmart’s Better Care Services telehealth marketplace, nutrition resources, pharmacy delivery and Walmart+. Dedicated community engagement time also will support educational classes, local events and connections with organizations serving rural residents.
Walmart has rebuilt its health strategy around its pharmacy and digital assets since closing its standalone health centers, from January’s Better Care Services launch to clinical research sites opening in former clinic spaces. The strategy is timely; McKinsey’s new 2026 grocery outlook found more than 60 percent of consumers say the grocers that best support wellness are those integrating pharmacy, food and wellness solutions, an integration rivals including Kroger are pursuing with pharmacist- and dietitian-led store programs.
Walmart said learnings from the six-month pilot will inform how it builds more accessible, connected health and wellness experiences, with the ambassador serving as what the company calls a familiar guide rather than leaving customers to navigate each piece of their care on their own.
Related: Walmart Launches Better Care Services, Rolls Back Prices