This company wants to bring breast cancer screening services to Walmart

Provider of outpatient diagnostic imaging services RadNet has scored a deal to open diagnostic imaging centers in multiple Walmart locations, starting with the Walmart Supercenter in Milford, Delaware. Two more MammogramNow clinics will follow at Walmart stores in Phoenix and Hanford, California.

This pioneering initiative aims to enhance breast health awareness and accessibility, including the integration of cutting-edge DeepHealth technology into the Walmart Supercenter environment, providing women with convenient access to crucial breast cancer screening services.

How does it work?

MammogramNow at the Walmart Supercenter introduces a new model of breast health screening convenience. Harnessing state-of-the-art hardware and software technology, powered by DeepHealth AI, this program pursues an improved level of screening performance and promotes earlier detection. MammogramNow offers women access to RadNet's Enhanced Breast Cancer Detection service — incorporating AI to optimize disease detection seamlessly during their visits, without extending their appointment time.

By placing the MammogramNow program within the Walmart Supercenter, RadNet and Walmart seek to make breast health screenings more accessible — encouraging proactive, community-based healthcare.

As part of the pilot, RadNet will actively promote breast health education and awareness initiatives, providing the Milford community with essential information about breast health and the critical nature of regular screenings.

On the record

"With MammogramNow, we are endeavoring to improve population heath and encourage preventative care. We believe RadNet currently performs close to five percent of all mammograms in the United States annually, and the pilot with Walmart is designed to provide even greater, convenient access for women, driving better compliance with annual breast cancer screening guidelines," said RadNet President and CEO, Howard Berger, M.D. "The ability to offer leading-edge hardware, software and AI technologies in a non-traditional healthcare location, such as a highly-trafficked retail location like a Walmart Supercenter, could become a new paradigm for the future of consumer healthcare and preventative medicine."

The context

MammogramNow is a proactive breast cancer screening program hosted at select Walmart Supercenter locations. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and AI along with the convenience of Walmart's retail spaces, the program aims to increase accessibility to screening mammography, so that women are empowered to prioritize their well-being. And since about 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of Walmart, this deal can have an immense impact on breast cancer screening in the U.S.

Also, this deal comes as part of the larger trend to make healthcare more accessible to the general public and help solve the doctor shortage problem. In that sense, we have recently talked about Forward CarePods - a self-contained, AI-powered doctor's office that aims to "unlock the future of care on every street corner."

Now, the question is when such tech-based solutions will hit malls, gyms, and other places in MENA and beyond. Any guesses?