CVS Health Offering Nearly 600 Free Wellness Screening Events in 12 Markets Across U.S

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Annual Project Health events at CVS Pharmacy locations have delivered more than $127 million worth of free health services since 2006

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Building on its impact over the past decade, CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) will expand its Project Health campaign to target more underserved and underinsured communities in 2019, with an aim of reaching more at-risk populations with free health and wellness screenings. Project Health offers a no-cost comprehensive health assessment, including blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), glucose and total cholesterol screenings, which can detect early risks for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Since it was founded in 2006, Project Health has delivered more than $127 million in free health care services to nearly 1.7 million Americans.

The expansion of Project Health will also do more to screen for social determinants of health that affect personal health and communities. A study has shown that up to 60 percent of life expectancy may be driven by behavioral, social and environmental factors including family, education, housing, and access to affordable healthy food.Schroeder, SA. (2007). We Can Do Better Improving the Health of the American People. NEJM. 357:1221-8. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa073350

“Chronic conditions disproportionally affect people in underserved communities, and caring for all patients with chronic conditions drives 75 percent of the health care costs in our country” said Kevin Hourican, Executive Vice President, CVS Health and President of CVS Pharmacy. “Many of the people we see at Project Health events are unaware that they may have a chronic condition, which untreated can significantly impact their health. Through these screening events, we can empower people to better manage their health by knowing their numbers, and provide them with the necessary resources they need in the community to help achieve their best health.”

Project Health events have a proven track record of improving patient engagement and ultimately, healthier outcomes. More than 87 percent of patients who attend Project Health events report following-up with their primary care physician and were significantly more likely to proactively discuss their blood pressure, BMI and blood sugar levels, according to the company’s own metrics.

Improving Local Access to Affordable Quality Care

Over the next four months, a total of nearly 600 Project Health events will take place in multicultural communities with a large number of uninsured or underinsured Americans. The events will take place in select stores across the Atlanta, Boston, Providence, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. markets.

Project Health events are open to everyone and do not require an appointment. Once screened, patients have access to on-site consultations with bilingual nurse practitioners or physician assistants who will analyze results and refer patients who require additional medical care and follow up to no-cost or low-cost medical facilities nearby, or to their primary care physician.

In addition, Project Health events provide opportunities for our charitable partners to drive community members who seek access to care. All events are promoted locally through local organizations like the LGBT Center in Los Angeles, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, ACCESS Michigan in Detroit, and The NAACP in Houston, among others.

For a full calendar of Project Health events, visit www.cvs.com/project-health (in Spanish: www.cvs.com/proyectosalud).

About CVS Health

CVS Health is the nation’s premier health innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Whether in one of its pharmacies or through its health services and plans, CVS Health is pioneering a bold new approach to total health by making quality care more affordable, accessible, simple and seamless. CVS Health is community-based and locally focused, engaging consumers with the care they need when and where they need it. The Company has approximately 9,900 retail locations, approximately 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 102 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year and expanding specialty pharmacy services. CVS Health also serves an estimated 38 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including rapidly expanding Medicare Advantage offerings and a leading standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Company believes its innovative health care model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.