Funding will support organizations serving
older adults in Atlanta,
Boynton Beach, Chicago and New York
City, bridging gaps in local health care and social
systems
WOONSOCKET, R.I., Jan. 23,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The CVS Health®
Foundation (NYSE: CVS) today announced $4 million in grants over five years as part of
its new Healthy Aging initiative to support Atlanta Regional
Collaborative for Health Improvement in Atlanta, GA, Center for Better
Aging in Chicago,
IL, EngageWell Independent Provider Association in
New York, NY and Palm Health
Foundation in Boynton Beach,
FL. Each organization will receive $1
million in funding to improve health care access and
resources for aging community members with brain, heart and
behavioral conditions, as well as their caregivers.
"People over the age of 65 are enjoying longer, more active
lives and make up the largest generation of older adults in U.S.
history," said Sheryl Burke, Senior
Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief
Sustainability Officer at CVS Health. "We're excited to work with
each of these organizations that are making a significant impact by
preparing and providing the health care and resources our
communities need for the generational shift of aging
Americans."
Americans are having fewer children and living longer.
According to the Census Bureau, more people in the U.S. will likely
be over 64 than under 18 by 2034. With this rise in aging
Americans, the CVS Health Foundation identified an opportunity to
introduce Healthy Aging as a new focus area for giving. The new
grants will support organizations working to help simplify a
complex care navigation process and bridge a critical gap in local
health care and social systems to help older adults lead healthy
lives.
Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement
(ARCHI)
The Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health
Improvement will use the grant to enhance its Community Resource
Hub to help older adults with brain, heart and behavioral
health conditions connect to essential health care and resources.
With this funding, ARCHI plans to expand its network of partners to
better serve aging adults and improve access to medically tailored
meals and educational services.
"Collaboration — like here with the CVS Health Foundation — has
shown us that when we work together, we can indeed invert the
burden from those who have traditionally been left out of good
health, including many of our city's underserved elders," said
Jeffrey M. Smythe, Executive
Director of Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement.
"The system can indeed bear that burden, we can change the system
of care to be more person-centered, and we look forward to this
opportunity to further expand the work of these dedicated
partners."
As one of the of partners, Caitlin
Behringer at Open Hand Atlanta shares, "We saw tremendous
results through our nutrition interventions that were provided to
members of the Community Resource Hub, and we know we will continue
to see significant improvements in older adults' health outcomes.
Leaders from across multiple of these sectors have come together
today because we know this can be a game-changer and we can provide
significant improvements to the systems of care for our most
marginalized older adults and their caregivers."
Center for Better Aging
The Center for Better Aging
at St. Bernard Hospital will use the grant to improve its
coordinated care model, which is designed to address the high rates
of chronic conditions in the South Side of Chicago. It will establish a data system to
track health outcomes for the aging population and support
initiatives to strengthen community connections for residents and
their caregivers.
"The Center for Better Aging has a mission to advance quality
and equality in health care to underserved communities across
Chicago's South Side where health
disparities like coronary heart disease and struggles with
cognitive difficulty disproportionately affect older adults,"
said Estrelitta Harmon, Executive Director, Center for Better
Aging. "Support from the CVS Health Foundation will expand our
capacity to detect and address critical brain, heart and mental
health conditions and provide first-rate specialty care. The CVS
Health Foundation will also support programming and social support
for the unpaid caregivers who help older adults to manage these
complex conditions."
The Center for Better Aging and its partners deliver
whole-person health care and provide medical and wellness services
across the St. Bernard Hospital campus, in-home wellness visits and
through community outreach. As a partner of Center for Better
Aging, Vivian Moore, LCPC, CCM,
SPARC Wellness Care Coordinator shares, "In our partnership with
CBA we've been able to ensure that patients are not delayed in
discharge and we're not keeping them longer than they need to be
kept, but also assuring that when they're discharged they have the
proper equipment with them to support stabilization
post-discharge."
EngageWell Independent Provider Association
EngageWell will deploy the funding to enhance its ongoing work
making health care nimbler and more responsive to the aging
New York City population. It will
allow EngageWell to expand its Care Your Way initiative
infrastructure for telemedicine, add additional Community Health
Workers and provide medication adherence support for senior
citizens with heart and or behavioral health conditions.
"EngageWell is excited to bring our Care Your Way Initiative to
older New Yorkers, focusing on low-income elders of color who often
experience barriers accessing quality healthcare," said
Christopher Joseph, Executive
Director of EngageWell IPA. "Elders in these communities often
experience significant challenges due to chronic health conditions
exacerbated by socio-economic factors, shortages in geriatric
specialists, and difficulties navigating technology and
transportation. By harnessing innovative technology with Community
Health Worker technical assistance and outreach, we aim to address
the unique needs of aging New Yorkers, making a meaningful impact
on their health and well-being."
As a partner of EngageWell and president and CEO of ACCO Asian
community Care organization, Tom Gu
shares, "We joined EngageWell in 2023 and are proud to serve over
1400 seniors each year. During COVID-19, our seniors faced
increased isolation and fear, so we created an app to connect them
with much needed support. When we saw how Engage Well was using
technology to improve care, we knew we wanted to be part of the
network."
Palm Health Foundation
With this funding, Palm Health
Foundation will create a Healthier Aging Initiative as part of its
Healthier Boynton Beach to support caregivers who are over 60 years
old. Often a caregiver's own health gets overlooked, so this grant
will help to identify, coordinate and connect health and wellness
services to caregivers in the community.
"Palm Health Foundation wants to see all Palm Beach County
residents have opportunities to thrive and reach their full health
potential," said Patrick McNamara,
President and CEO at Palm Health Foundation. "We make progress
toward this vision by centering the voices of those we serve. Our
Healthier Boynton Beach initiative is community-driven, with
caregivers leading solutions for fellow caregivers to improve and
sustain their quality of life."
As part of leading this work, Ricky
Petty, Healthier Boynton Beach Project Director shared, "Our
community had a conversation about family caregiving and the
importance of it and they realized some of the challenges that they
face on a day-to-day basis. Challenges such as chronic health
conditions, limited access to healthcare, supportive services and
the financial strain that it has on families. This initiative is
driven by their voice and experience."
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
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SOURCE CVS Health