Walmart picks chief of health, wellness

Pegus to aid retailer’s care-field push

Walmart Inc. has chosen a cardiologist to head its health and wellness division, signaling the retailer plans to continue its push into the health care field.

Dr. Cheryl Pegus will start her new job as executive vice president of health and wellness on Dec. 21, the company said.

John Furner, president and chief executive officer of Walmart’s U.S. division, said in a memo to employees Monday that Pegus will further develop Walmart’s efforts to deliver effective, accessible and affordable health care to both employees and customers.

Furner said Pegus “has a unique skill set of broadbased experiences across health care and brings a balance of strategic capabilities and operating experience that will help us scale our health and wellness initiatives.”

Pegus previously worked at Cambia Health Solutions as president of consumer health solutions and chief medical officer. She was the first chief medical officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., overseeing its retail clinics, and held jobs at Pfizer, SymCare and Aetna. She also has worked in private practice as a cardiologist.

She replaces Sean Slovenski, who led the health and wellness unit as senior vice president for two years before departing in August. Lori

Flees has since served as interim senior vice president as well as chief operating officer for health and wellness. Flees will stay on in the COO role, Furner said.

The Bentonville-based retailer has been increasingly moving into the health care field in the past year, perhaps most notably by creating low-cost health care clinics called Walmart Health. The centers are typically attached to Walmart supercenters, but with separate entrances for privacy.

The health centers provide primary and urgent care, diagnostics and mental-health counseling as well as dental, optical and hearing services. They also help patients with health insurance enrollment, though patients are seen regardless of insurance status.

The retailer opened its first Walmart Health center on Sept. 13, 2019, in Georgia. Slovenski, who oversaw the creation of the health center format, said at the time that the centers were part of Walmart’s effort to help more people access affordable health care. The company now operates a total of 14 clinics, including a clinic in Springdale.

In addition, Walmart has participated in covid-19 testing this year. The company offered its parking lots as drive-thru testing sites, which are staffed in part by its pharmacists who volunteered to help with the effort.

Most recently, Walmart opened a Medicare insurance plan brokerage. Walmart Insurance Services LLC debuted in October, offering Medicare Part D, Advantage and Supplement plans from a number of carriers.

Pegus earned her bachelor’s degree at Brandeis University; her medical degree at Weill Cornell Medical College; and her master’s degree in public health at Columbia University. She serves on the board of the American Heart Association and is a past chairwoman of the Association of Black Cardiologists.