Foundation announces $1.5 million in new Health Zones funding and
progress through first six months of the program
WOONSOCKET, R.I., Oct. 23,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The CVS Health® Foundation today
announced $1.5 million in new Health
Zones funding between Good Samaritan Health Center, Open Hand
Atlanta and Uber Health to increase access to
comprehensive health care services, medically tailored meals and
transportation for patients with chronic diseases. This
announcement was made during the company's Project Health event at
Good Samaritan Health Center, underscoring CVS Health's commitment
to community health and bridging critical gaps in the health care
and social system.
"An individual's health is influenced by a continuous
intersection of factors, such as access to health care, healthy
food and transportation," said Sheryl
Burke, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social
Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer at CVS Health®. "By
gaining a better understanding of the root causes of these factors
with organizations who know the community the best, we are
addressing the barriers to improving health outcomes for patients
with chronic diseases in Atlanta.
Over the last six months, we have already seen the positive impact
and look forward to continuing our collaborations."
Diagnosed diabetes costs an estimated $11
billion in Georgia
each year, and despite the number of people with diabetes going
down, deaths due to heart disease and diabetes in Georgia have steadily risen since 2012. With
this in mind, the CVS Health Foundation tailored its Health
Zones initiative to address the high levels of diabetes and
hypertension in Atlanta. The
Foundation's investment supports Good Samaritan Health Center in
providing comprehensive clinical services, diabetic education and a
nurse navigator to help patients take proactive steps toward a
healthier future. The nurse navigator guides patients to use Uber
Health for transportation and Open Hand Atlanta for medically
tailored meals, educational resources and access to a cooking class
called Cooking Matters. By encouraging this more connected,
coordinated use of resources between each Health Zone organization,
the CVS Health Foundation aims to help simplify a complex care
navigation process.
"We have seen how integrating human connection, supportive
services and evidence-based care can greatly improve health
outcomes," said Breanna Lathrop,
CEO-elect and Nurse Practitioner at Good Samaritan Health Center.
"With the support of the CVS Health Foundation and resulting
collaborations, we are able to expand services for our patients
with chronic disease. We are connecting patients with the
supportive services and educational opportunities that best fit
their needs as we seek to reduce the impact of health
inequities."
The CVS Health Foundation is releasing impact numbers to
highlight the Health Zone partners' recent successes over the last
six months in Atlanta.
- 1,277 patients were referred to chronic disease support
- 40 participants were referred to medically tailored meals and
Open Hand Atlanta's Cooking Matters classes by Good Samaritan
Health Center
- Of the 317 diabetic participants, 156 have had a second A1c,
and 53% demonstrated an improvement (n=82)
- Of the 710 hypertensive participants seen, 632 have had a
second BP for analysis; 56% demonstrated an improvement in BP
(n=328)
- 13.3 percent of participants reported they skipped their
medication in the last 30 days an improvement compared to 36.4% at
the beginning of the program
The Health Zones initiative has transformed the lives of
patients like Blanca who credits her A1C level going down to the
Cooking Matter Classes. As Blanca shares, "One day, I had a lot of
problems with my diabetes and I got really scared. They called me
from the clinic about the classes, and I decided to attend to see
what would happen. I started going with my husband. The first
recipe we made I liked a lot; it was a ratatouille, with vibrant
colors. After taking the cooking classes, I started cooking with
more vegetables at home and my A1C level went down. After the
program ended, I had to undergo a scheduled surgery, and the meals
delivered to my house have been helping me eat healthy. I'm very
grateful to Eliza for her patience in teaching and educating us
about our daily nutrition. It was a great experience for me and my
husband. Thank you to Good Sam Clinic for providing the classes,
and thank you for these very educational lessons, from which I have
benefited greatly."
In addition to announcing the new Health Zones funding, CVS
Health has offered free health screenings to individuals at Good
Samaritan Health Center today through its Project Health
initiative. This proactive program is designed to offer free
biometric screenings, including blood pressure, cholesterol,
glucose level and body mass index to detect early risks of chronic
conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. The
screenings also offer a PHQ-2 assessment to help identify people
who require additional evaluation for depression. All individuals
have an on-site consultation with a nurse practitioner and are
provided a directory of local health care providers and resources.
This year, CVS Health hosted 25 Project Health events in
Atlanta and screened 675
participants, which resulted in 2,363 screenings. The program is
offered throughout the year across the country, and a full schedule
of events for the remainder of the year can be
found online or through
its iPhone or Android app.
Supporting Georgia is part of
CVS Health's commitment to build a world of health around every
community it calls home. The company recently committed over
$1.25 million in monetary and product
donations to support relief efforts in communities across the
states most impacted by recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton,
including Georgia. Contributions
in Georgia included supporting
Americares and World Central Kitchen, which began serving meals to
the hardest hit areas the days after the storms passed. CVS Health
also recently contributed $150,000 to
support the Center for Black Women's Wellness Doula Program and
$150,000 to the Gwinnett Coalition.
The funding will strengthen Center for Black Women's coordination
of health care services post-delivery, increase access to doula
services and education. The grant to the Gwinnett Coalition will
support its new initiative aimed at increasing the capacity for
organizations to fulfill their missions. Additionally, CVS Health
has invested in the creation, renovation and preservation of nearly
5,100 units of affordable housing across the state of Georgia, including over 1,400 units in
Fulton County since 1997.
About CVS Health
CVS Health® is the leading health
solutions company, delivering care like no one else can. We reach
more people and improve the health of communities across America
through our local presence, digital channels and over 300,000
dedicated colleagues — including more than 40,000 physicians,
pharmacists, nurses and nurse practitioners. Wherever and whenever
people need us, we help them with their health — whether that's
managing chronic diseases, staying compliant with their medications
or accessing affordable health and wellness services in the most
convenient ways. We help people navigate the health care system —
and their personal health care — by improving access, lowering
costs and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of
health. And we do it all with heart, each and every day. Follow
@CVSHealth on social media.
Media contacts
Courtney
Tavener
401-712-3698
Courtney.Tavener@CVSHealth.com
Shannon Dillon
346-291-7131
Shannon.Dillon@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health
