The former Kmart parking lot in Kanawha City, Charleston, West Virginia, became a temporary community health outreach location during 2020 and 2021. Rather than requiring every resident to visit a clinic or hospital, local public health organizations used the familiar parking area on MacCorkle Avenue to bring selected testing, vaccination, and prevention services into the community.
The site, listed in historical event notices as 6531 MacCorkle Avenue, Charleston, WV, hosted a multi-service drive-up event in October 2020 and HIV testing outreach during 2021. Its role illustrates how ordinary community spaces can be adapted to meet urgent public health needs.
Historical notice: The activities described here took place in 2020 and 2021. This article is not an announcement of current testing or vaccination services at the parking lot.
Why the Old Kmart Parking Lot Was Used for Health Outreach
During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health agencies needed ways to offer testing while managing queues and reducing prolonged contact indoors. Large outdoor areas, including parking lots, could accommodate vehicles, temporary equipment, and staff carrying out screening and specimen collection.
The old Kmart lot was also recognizable to people in Kanawha City. A site does not need to be a healthcare facility to contribute to public health: its usefulness can come from its location and its ability to host a temporary, organized service. Actual access still depends on factors such as transportation, operating hours, staffing, and whether walk-up options are offered.
Kanawha County was facing overlapping health challenges in this period. COVID-19 required large-scale testing and prevention efforts, while health officials were also responding to HIV transmission associated with injection drug use. The parking lot was one of several sites where public health organizations delivered services outside their usual offices.
October 28, 2020: COVID-19 Testing and Additional Services
On October 28, 2020, a drive-up event was held at the former Kmart parking lot from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The West Virginia Department of Health’s historical schedule listed the Kanawha County stop at 6531 MacCorkle Avenue and noted that flu shots and HIV testing would also be available.
Reporting summarized in the location’s historical listing recorded 461 COVID-19 tests, 100 influenza vaccinations, and seven HIV tests at the event. It also reported that eight people received training in how to administer naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.
The figures describe services provided at one event, not the total number of people served at the location across the pandemic. They should not be added together to estimate unique attendees, because an individual could have received more than one service.
Combining Services at One Location
Offering several services at a single outreach event can reduce the need for separate trips. In October 2020, influenza vaccination was particularly timely because the flu season was approaching while COVID-19 continued to circulate.
HIV testing and naloxone training addressed different but equally important preventive health needs. Their inclusion showed that community outreach could extend beyond a single disease. However, not every drive-through event offered this same combination of services.
May 2021: Expanding HIV Testing in Kanawha County
On May 11, 2021, from noon to 5 p.m., the old Kmart parking lot was scheduled to host free HIV testing and connection to appropriate medical care. The event formed part of a wider campaign to increase HIV testing access in Kanawha County.
Earlier that month, a local health department announcement described expanded testing opportunities and the work of additional disease intervention specialists. Community partners were organizing outreach at sites beyond traditional healthcare offices, while the county continued its response to an HIV outbreak.
The announcement described other prevention services available at events in the broader outreach series, including COVID-19 testing or vaccinations and immunizations against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and tetanus. That does not establish that every one of those services was provided at the May 11 Kmart event; availability depended on the specific event.
Why Accessible HIV Testing Matters
People may delay HIV testing because of concerns about privacy, stigma, cost, scheduling, or difficulty reaching medical services. Outreach testing can make it easier to learn one’s status and, when needed, obtain follow-up care.
Early HIV diagnosis allows people to start effective treatment. With sustained treatment and viral suppression, people living with HIV can protect their health and prevent sexual transmission of the virus. Testing can also create an opportunity to discuss prevention options, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), with qualified healthcare professionals.
The 2021 Kanawha County response was particularly significant because the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented an HIV outbreak among people who injected drugs. Its subsequent investigation identified barriers to testing, treatment, and other prevention services, including stigma and disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 2021: Another HIV Testing Event in Kanawha City
A surviving event listing also identifies HIV testing at the former Kmart parking lot in July 2021, with a noon-to-5 p.m. time window. The listing gives the MacCorkle Avenue address, although its date fields are inconsistent: the page displays July 6, while its description refers to Tuesday, July 7. For that reason, this article does not present a single July day as confirmed.
What the event listing does establish is that the parking lot remained part of the county’s outdoor HIV testing outreach network beyond the May event.
How Parking-Lot Health Events Worked
Drive-up public health events generally relied on temporary stations, signs, healthcare personnel, and traffic arrangements to guide participants. The exact procedures at the former Kmart lot varied by date and by service and are not fully documented in the surviving notices.
For COVID-19 testing, participants could be directed through a sequence of registration and specimen collection. For vaccination or HIV screening, staff would need appropriate consent, clinical procedures, supplies, and arrangements for answering questions or providing results. Follow-up systems were especially important when a screening result required additional assessment or treatment.
Outdoor service models offered practical advantages, but they were not universally accessible. People without vehicles, residents with disabilities, and those with limited transportation could still encounter barriers. Effective outreach requires attention to the needs of people who may not be able to use a drive-through service.
Community Partnerships Made the Events Possible
The October 2020 event involved the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department and the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority. The 2021 HIV outreach involved the health department and community partners.
These efforts required coordination across several tasks: choosing suitable locations, informing the public, obtaining medical supplies, managing staffing, and arranging appropriate follow-up.
A former retail parking lot offered space, but the location alone did not deliver care. Healthcare professionals, emergency-response organizations, outreach workers, and coordinating agencies made the programs possible.
Public Health Lessons From the Old Kmart Site
Convenient Locations Can Expand Reach
Recognizable community spaces can make temporary services easier to locate. This is especially helpful when a health system needs to scale up outreach quickly or establish multiple neighborhood stops.
Prevention Needs Often Overlap
The October 2020 event brought together COVID-19 testing, influenza vaccination, HIV testing, and overdose-prevention education. These services addressed different risks, but all contributed to preventing avoidable illness and harm.
Trust and Follow-Up Are Essential
Providing a test is only one part of effective outreach. Residents also need understandable information, confidentiality, results, and a reliable path to further care when needed. This is particularly important in HIV prevention, where delayed diagnosis and barriers to treatment can have serious consequences.
Historical Events Should Not Be Confused With Current Services
The old Kmart parking lot was an outreach location during a specific period. The event notices discussed here should not be used as evidence of current clinic hours, service availability, or future events at that address. Residents seeking testing or vaccinations today should check current information directly with qualified local healthcare providers or the relevant public health agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was the old Kmart public health outreach location?
Historical event notices list the old Kmart parking lot at 6531 MacCorkle Avenue in Kanawha City, Charleston, West Virginia.
Was COVID-19 testing offered there?
Yes. A documented October 28, 2020, drive-up event reported 461 COVID-19 tests, along with several other prevention services.
Was HIV testing offered there?
Yes. HIV testing was included in the October 2020 event, and free HIV testing outreach was scheduled at the same location in May and July 2021.
Did every event provide vaccines and naloxone training?
No. Service availability varied. The October 2020 event included flu shots and naloxone training, but those offerings should not be assumed for every later event.
Is the old Kmart lot currently a testing or vaccination site?
The historical reports do not establish any current clinic at that location. Check current public health announcements before visiting a site for services.
Conclusion
The old Kmart parking lot in Kanawha City illustrates how a familiar community location can support public health during periods of urgent need. In October 2020, it hosted a drive-up event combining COVID-19 testing with flu vaccination, HIV testing, and overdose-prevention education. In 2021, it also appeared in the county’s expanded HIV testing outreach.
These activities reflected collaboration between health officials, emergency-response agencies, and community partners. They also highlighted the value of taking services closer to the people who need them, while recognizing that accessibility, trust, and follow-up care remain essential.
The site’s lasting significance is historical: it shows how everyday places can become temporary points of connection between communities and healthcare services.
Sources
- West Virginia Department of Health. COVID-19 Daily Update, October 27, 2020. Official schedule listing the Kmart parking-lot testing event.
- Kanawha City Old Kmart Parking Lot — Historical Location Listing. October 2020 service counts and 2021 outreach context.
- Expanded HIV Testing Opportunities Continue, May 3, 2021. Announcement of the May 11 outreach event.
- HIV Testing in Kanawha City — July 2021 Event Listing. Historical listing with differing dates in its header and description.
- CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2022). HIV Outbreak During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Persons Who Inject Drugs — Kanawha County, 2019–2021. Public health background and response findings.
Editorial note: This is a historical overview based on documented events. The original /locations/old-kmart-parking-lot-3/ page could not be confirmed in full. The article does not claim that any clinic is currently operating at the former Kmart lot.