CVS Health Foundation grants to increase health access exceed goals, generate results

As part of a multi-year, $5 million commitment to increase access to health care in communities nationwide, the CVS Health Foundation on Tuesday released new data from programs supported through partnerships with the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics and the National Association of Community Health Centers.



The Foundation also announced $1.5 million in new grants distributed to 46 community health centers and free clinics for 2016.



"As a pharmacy innovation company, we are committed to helping people on their path to better health by increasing access to care and supporting innovative approaches to chronic disease management through our Health in Action grants," stated Eileen Howard Boone, president of the CVS Health Foundation. "Our partnerships with NAFC and NACHC are focused on addressing the critical need for more accessible, coordinated health care in communities across the country and we're proud to support programs that are improving outcomes and lowering overall health care costs."



In April 2015, the CVS Health Foundation announced a total of 55 grant recipients that have since made meaningful progress toward their goals of improving care coordination, managing chronic conditions and increasing access to care.



Critical results from the Foundation funding include:



• The Free Clinic of Central Virginia (Lynchburg, Va.) reduced their average patient waiting time between receiving a referral and comprehensive services from 30 days to 10 days. The Clinic was also able to reduce the number of hospitalizations for COPD by 51%, surpassing their original goal of 33%;



• St. Mary's Health Wagon (Wise, Va.) saw a blood pressure reduction in 66% of their patients with hypertension or diabetes mellitus, which surpassed their initial goal of 50%;



• Community Care Clinic of Rowan County (Salisbury, N.C.) saw 86% of participants in their smoking cessation program completely quit smoking which far surpasses the original goal of 15%;



• 51% of the participants in the Corpus Christi (Texas) Metro Ministries' smoking cessation program have reduced tobacco use; and



• As a result of the Cornerstone Assistance Network's (Fort Worth, Texas) program that raises awareness about how to prevent Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy through diabetes management, 32% of program patients showed a 10% or more decrease of hemoglobin A1C, a measure of blood glucose levels, surpassing their 205 goal.



As a continuation of these critical community health partnerships, the CVS Health Foundation today announced a total of $1.5 million in new grants in support of chronic disease management and prevention, such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and asthma, improved care coordination and increased access to care to the following NACHC and NAFC recipient organizations across the country.