H-E-B grows health care clinic operation

Texas grocer H-E-B is expanding in the retail health care arena with the launch of more H-E-B Wellness Primary Care clinics.

San Antonio-based H-E-B yesterday officially opened a 4,000-square-foot H-E-B Wellness clinic at 8601 South Congress Ave. #110 in Austin. That followed the May 5 opening of an H-E-B Wellness clinic at 19368 Ronald Reagan Blvd. #100 in Leander. H-E-B already had primary care clinics operating in Houston and San Antonio.

H-E-B Wellness Primary Care offers full-service basic health care for people ages 12 and older, operating in coordination with registered dietitians “with a food-first philosophy rooted in science,” H-E-B said. The clinics are staffed by board-certified doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals. Besides primary care, other services include physical therapy, health/nutrition coaching, clinical pharmacy, specialty referrals and lab testing.

The H-E-B clinics offer both Get Well (primary care) and Stay Well (preventive care) visits.

The clinics also focus on “straightforward,” affordable pricing for visits and offer the option of monthly subscriptions, with no insurance needed, “removing the frustration of surprise medical billing,” H-E-B said. For example, a Get Well visit (minor illness, infections, injuries) costs $70, and a preventive care Stay Well visit (annual wellness exam, sports/camp physicals, women’s health exams) costs $80. Virtual visits for minor illness also are currently available in the Houston and San Antonio locations for $60. The clinics accept cash, credit card and flexible spending account payments.

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In addition, H-E-B Wellness Primary Care doctors will help patients stay healthy or manage chronic conditions by working with registered dietitians, H-E-B noted. Dietitians provide personalized consultations and virtual and in-store walks. Patients also can access food products from brands like H-E-B Organics and H-E-B Naturals as well as foods that fit their lifestyles (e.g. gluten-free, low-carb, plant-based) and convenient meal planning solutions. Pharmacists, too, are available to answer medication questions and have prescriptions ready when customers pick up their grocery order. 

H-E-B said the H-E-B Wellness Primary Care clinics are designed to offer a coordinated approach to health care under one roof. The grocer said it plans to rapidly expand its clinic operation across Texas, serving up primary care and nutrition services.

“In everything we do, our goal at H-E-B is to take care of Texans with a servant heart and a best-in-class experience you can trust,” H-E-B President Craig Boyan said in a statement. “We believe that food plays an integral role in well-being, and as one of the largest sellers of food in the state of Texas, we’re committed to making it easy for Texans to live better and healthier.”

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