CVS Health Foundation helps address barriers to care for patients with chronic diseases in Atlanta

WOONSOCKET, R.I., October 23, 2024 — The CVS Health® Foundation today announced $1.5 million in new Health Zones funding between Good Samaritan Health Center, Open Hand Atlanta and Uber Health to increase access to comprehensive health care services, medically tailored meals and transportation for patients with chronic diseases. This announcement was made during the company’s Project Health event at Good Samaritan Health Center, underscoring CVS Health’s commitment to community health and bridging critical gaps in the health care and social system.

“An individual’s health is influenced by a continuous intersection of factors, such as access to health care, healthy food and transportation,” said Sheryl Burke, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer at CVS Health®. “By gaining a better understanding of the root causes of these factors with organizations who know the community the best, we are addressing the barriers to improving health outcomes for patients with chronic diseases in Atlanta. Over the last six months, we have already seen the positive impact and look forward to continuing our collaborations.”

Diagnosed diabetes costs an estimated $11 billion (PDF) in Georgia each year, and despite the number of people with diabetes going down, deaths due to heart disease and diabetes in Georgia have steadily risen since 2012. With this in mind, the CVS Health Foundation tailored its Health Zones initiative to address the high levels of diabetes and hypertension in Atlanta. The Foundation’s investment supports Good Samaritan Health Center in providing comprehensive clinical services, diabetic education and a nurse navigator to help patients take proactive steps toward a healthier future. The nurse navigator guides patients to use Uber Health for transportation and Open Hand Atlanta for medically tailored meals, educational resources and access to a cooking class called Cooking Matters. By encouraging this more connected, coordinated use of resources between each Health Zone organization, the CVS Health Foundation aims to help simplify a complex care navigation process.

“We have seen how integrating human connection, supportive services and evidence-based care can greatly improve health outcomes,” said Breanna Lathrop, CEO-elect and Nurse Practitioner at Good Samaritan Health Center. “With the support of the CVS Health Foundation and resulting collaborations, we are able to expand services for our patients with chronic disease. We are connecting patients with the supportive services and educational opportunities that best fit their needs as we seek to reduce the impact of health inequities.”

The CVS Health Foundation is releasing impact numbers to highlight the Health Zone partners’ recent successes over the last six months in Atlanta.

• 1,277 patients were referred to chronic disease support
• 40 participants were referred to medically tailored meals and Open Hand Atlanta’s Cooking Matters classes by Good Samaritan Health Center
• Of the 317 diabetic participants, 156 have had a second A1c, and 53% demonstrated an improvement (n=82)
• Of the 710 hypertensive participants seen, 632 have had a second BP for analysis; 56% demonstrated an improvement in BP (n=328)
• 13.3 percent of participants reported they skipped their medication in the last 30 days an improvement compared to 36.4% at the beginning of the program

The Health Zones initiative has transformed the lives of patients like Blanca who credits her A1C level going down to the Cooking Matter Classes. As Blanca shares, “One day, I had a lot of problems with my diabetes and I got really scared. They called me from the clinic about the classes, and I decided to attend to see what would happen. I started going with my husband. The first recipe we made I liked a lot; it was a ratatouille, with vibrant colors. After taking the cooking classes, I started cooking with more vegetables at home and my A1C level went down. After the program ended, I had to undergo a scheduled surgery, and the meals delivered to my house have been helping me eat healthy. I’m very grateful to Eliza for her patience in teaching and educating us about our daily nutrition. It was a great experience for me and my husband. Thank you to Good Sam Clinic for providing the classes, and thank you for these very educational lessons, from which I have benefited greatly.”

In addition to announcing the new Health Zones funding, CVS Health has offered free health screenings to individuals at Good Samaritan Health Center today through its Project Health initiative. This proactive program is designed to offer free biometric screenings, including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose level and body mass index to detect early risks of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. The screenings also offer a PHQ-2 assessment to help identify people who require additional evaluation for depression. All individuals have an on-site consultation with a nurse practitioner and are provided a directory of local health care providers and resources. This year, CVS Health hosted 25 Project Health events in Atlanta and screened 675 participants, which resulted in 2,363 screenings. The program is offered throughout the year across the country, and a full schedule of events for the remainder of the year can be found online or through its iPhone or Android app.

Supporting Georgia is part of CVS Health’s commitment to build a world of health around every community it calls home. The company recently committed over $1.25 million in monetary and product donations to support relief efforts in communities across the states most impacted by recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including Georgia. Contributions in Georgia included supporting Americares and World Central Kitchen, which began serving meals to the hardest hit areas the days after the storms passed. CVS Health also recently contributed $150,000 to support the Center for Black Women’s Wellness Doula Program and $150,000 to the Gwinnett Coalition. The funding will strengthen Center for Black Women’s coordination of health care services post-delivery, increase access to doula services and education. The grant to the Gwinnett Coalition will support its new initiative aimed at increasing the capacity for organizations to fulfill their missions. Additionally, CVS Health has invested in the creation, renovation and preservation of nearly 5,100 units of affordable housing across the state of Georgia, including over 1,400 units in Fulton County since 1997.