PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As
part of a commitment to building healthier communities, CVS Health
(NYSE: CVS) celebrated the expansion of its annual Project
Health free health screening campaign with a community event
that took place on Friday, September
20th at CVS Pharmacy, 7520 City Line Ave.,
Philadelphia. Friday's event was one of 48 free health screenings
taking place in the Philadelphia
area between now and the end of the year.
Donte DiVincenzo, NBA point guard
for the Milwaukee Bucks and two-time NCAA champion with the
Villanova Wildcats, attended the event, along with CVS Health's Dr.
Garth Graham, community members and
CVS Pharmacy field leadership to discuss the importance of being
proactive about your health, eating well and not smoking.
"CVS Health is committed to expanding access to quality and
affordable care, both through our retail footprint and with
national and local non-profits and organizations who share our
belief that better health starts at the community level," said
Garth Graham, M.D., vice president
of community health and impact at CVS and president of the Aetna
Foundation. "We were thrilled to be in in Philadelphia to celebrate the expansion of
Project Health and look forward to providing local residents with
free health screenings throughout the rest of the year, as part of
our commitment to building healthier communities."
Project Health events, which will be held Thursdays – Sundays in
select stores across Philadelphia through the end of the year, 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.
"Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for me, on and off
the court," said DiVincenzo. "With Project Health helping people
keep tabs on their blood pressure, weight and cholesterol at these
free health screening events, CVS Health is setting the people of
Philadelphia up for a healthier
future."
An array of free comprehensive health assessment screenings are
available at these events, including blood pressure, body mass
Index (BMI), glucose and total cholesterol screenings, which can
help detect risk for chronic conditions like diabetes,
hypertension, and heart disease. 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.1
Through Project Health, CVS Health has hosted over 600
preventive care events across Philadelphia since 2010, conducting
51,000 free health screenings, counseling 1,812 people on how to
stop smoking and donating over $6
million worth of free medical services.
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.
"I am thrilled for the residents of my district to have the
opportunity to receive free walk-in health and wellness screenings
through Project Health," said State Representative Morgan Cephas. For some, this may be the only
opportunity they have had this year – or maybe ever – to speak with
a medical professional about important wellness measurements, such
as glucose and cholesterol levels. It's a critical service that
everyone can benefit from."
Established in 2006, Project Health has delivered more than
$127 million in free health care
services to nearly 1.7 million people in multicultural communities
with a large number of uninsured or underinsured Americans.
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.
Media Contact:
Ethan
Slavin; 860-273-6095
SlavinE@aetna.com
1 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
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SOURCE CVS Health