CVS grants help providers use IT to improve care

The CVS Health Foundation, a private foundation created by CVS Health, has provided grants to 55 recipients as part of its multi-year, $5 million commitment to increase access to healthcare.

The foundation already has supported nearly 150 community health organizations nationwide and data show the investment has increased access to affordable care, better coordinated care for patients and improved chronic disease management and prevention, including helping people quit smoking.

Grants awarded in partnership with the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics have allowed grantees to increase operating hours and the number of patient visits, resulting in a decrease in the number of emergency room visits and improved patient compliance.  

Working with grantees to better coordinate care can reduce healthcare costs and improve outcomes for patients. For example, in Massachusetts, the MetroWest Free Medical Program provided more intensive and coordinated health education to nearly 460 patients as well as follow-up care for 163 patients, which helped 92 percent of those follow-up patients improve their medication adherence. 

The Foundation's investment has helped patients manage and prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and asthma, helping them stay healthier and reduce avoidable health care expenses across the system. For example, at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic in Florida, 88 percent of new diabetic education patients showed improvement in a post-class evaluation, surpassing the program's improvement goal by 22 percent. In North Carolina, the Charlotte Community Health Clinic (CCHC) has strengthened the connection between the clinic and patients referred to the ER, resulting in patients using the emergency room 47 percent less than they did prior to becoming CCHC patients.