CVS Health provides nearly $1.5M in grants to California nonprofits

As part of its COVID-19 relief efforts, CVS Health is repurposing a portion of its three-year, $40 million commitment to invest in California's healthcare delivery system.

Nearly $1.5 million in grants will immediately help four local nonprofit organizations expand access to telehealth services, address food insecurity among California’s most vulnerable populations and support the state’s paramedics and EMTs.

“Supporting local communities is part of our purpose of helping people on their path to better health,” said Kristen Miranda, California Market president for Aetna, a CVS Health company. “The role of our nonprofit partners has never been more important, which is why continued support is critical.”

CVS Health has allocated grants to the following organizations:

• California Free and Charitable Clinics: These volunteer-driven clinics are all members of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics and provide access to health care for the most vulnerable patients in California. CVS Health is funding $1 million to support the expansion of telehealth services and support programs addressing food insecurity;

• Pacific Business Group on Health: PBGH will use $350,000 of their initial $5.5 million grant from CVS Health to provide direct assistance to provider groups and practices to launch and expand telehealth services. Many of these providers are smaller independent practices and this work will allow them to better serve their patients under crisis-related constraints;

• California Food is Medicine Coalition: This coalition of community-based nonprofit organizations provides medically tailored meals and support to low-income individuals facing a serious illness. CVS Health has provided $100,000 to the Coalition to fund immediate needs created by the pandemic; and

• California Paramedic Foundation: This paramedic-founded organization focuses on education, prevention and advancement within the EMS community. CVS Health has provided $15,000 to the organization, which will be directed to help digitize, automate and expand the Foundation’s online site to ensure California paramedics and EMTs have all available resources during COVID-19 medical disaster response.

“We are so grateful for the continued support that CVS Health offers to our organization, our Free and Charitable Clinics and in turn, our patients,” said Nicole Lamoureux, National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics president and CEO. “Our members in California are providing medically underserved people access to health care that is crucial especially during this pandemic to keep people healthy and out of the emergency departments, and this funding is vital to supporting their efforts.”

“The grant enables the six California Food is Medicine Coalition agencies to increase their services – delivering thousands of nutritious meals to low-income and medically fragile Californians who are sheltered in-place and at great risk of contracting COVID-19 and more vulnerable to complications and death,” said Ann Thrupp, CalFIMC director. “We greatly appreciate the support CVS Health has provided CalFIMC to help respond to urgent community food needs for highly vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic.”