Forces for good

Editor’s Note: This story provides additional context to the October 2023 cover story, "Stepping Up,” which readers can find here.

Drug Store News spoke with Sheryl Burke, senior vice president of corporate social responsibility and chief sustainability officer, CVS Health, to learn more about the retailer’s mission of giving back.

Drug Store News: At the retail level, CVS working on to give back to the community? 
Sheryl Burke: We live and work alongside the 100 million consumers we serve, giving us deeper insights into the needs of our communities. Our colleagues enable us to make a positive and lasting impact in these communities because they touch the lives of our customers every day. 

They also donate their money, time and talents through our Dollars for Doers program and Matching Gifts program to support the causes that mean the most to them. Each program is offered to all colleagues throughout our company and this year, we raised our CVS Health Foundation Matching Gifts donation dollar for dollar up to $5,000 annually. 

When disaster strikes, we step in to help people get back on their feet, no matter the event. We remain committed to being on the ground to support first responders within 48 hours of a disaster.

Most recently, we have committed $425,000 to support organizations in Maui, including The Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund to support relief efforts, the Red Cross’ immediate recovery efforts, and World Central Kitchen, which began serving meals to the hardest hit areas the first day after the fires. Additionally, our CVS Pharmacy and Longs Drugs customers have contributed over $2 million to our in-store fundraising campaign to support those impacted by the wildfires. The funds raised by our customers will be distributed equally between The Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund and the Maui United Way. 

DSN: How can customers (or even suppliers) get involved or contribute to these initiatives? 
SB: Every year, we host in-store fundraising campaigns at our CVS Pharmacy locations where our customers can support the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association and Feeding America. 

For example, every February, we host an in-store fundraising campaign where our customers can contribute to the American Heart Association’s ongoing work to combat the number 1 killer of women and support their Go Red for Women Campaign. 

Our work with the AHA doesn’t just stop after the in-store campaign is closed. Throughout the year, we support other various programming and most recently, we announced the CVS Health Foundation awarded the American Heart Association $1 million over two years to help address hypertension, which is a key risk factor in the most common killer of new mothers.

DSN: Are there specific charities or nonprofits that your store partners with?
SB: For our in-store fundraising campaigns, we work with the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association and Feeding America. 

We also work with national organizations who have  agencies at the local level to improve health outcomes by increasing access to care and services and advancing maternal and mental health equity. These include organizations like the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, American Heart Association, Feeding America, March of Dimes and many more who are working to increase access to care and services, and advance maternal and mental health equity.  

We know that no two communities are the same, so we collaborate with our stores, community leaders, elected officials and other key community members to listen and learn how we can support other local organizations and their ongoing work to address the unique health barriers impacting each of these communities together.

Additionally, we work with organizations to help bring our programs and services to meet people where they are. Our Project Health initiative is offered at our CVS Pharmacy locations and deploys mobile vans into local communities nationwide to locations such as churches, community centers and homeless shelters to conduct physical and mental health screenings for early identification of health conditions. Anyone who screens positive for any physical or mental health conditions has an on-site consult with a nurse practitioner and is provided a directory of local health care providers. We added nearly 100 community organizations over the past year to host our Project Health mobile units and plan to host nearly 2,000 Project Health screening events in 2023. This year, free depression screenings were also added.

DSN: Can you share some success stories or outcomes from your community involvement?
SB: At Crossroads Rhode Island, the state's leading provider of housing and homeless services, transportation is a significant obstacle for accessing physical and mental health care. Jennifer Watkins, who is the vice president of emergency shelters, housing problem solving at Crossroads Rhode Island, recently told us that having the Project Health mobile van come to their locations was a huge barrier that just evaporated. That’s why it’s important to collaborate with people who know the community best in order to bring health services to people that need it most. Last year, 82% of people who received services at a Project Health event identified as a race other than white/Caucasian, while 68% reported a household income below $50,000. The program hosted nearly 1,700 events nationwide last year and provided $5.5 million in free medical services. 

Our colleagues across the country bring their hearts to every moment of their customers’ health. They offer a smile, an assuring voice, a helping hand. Below are a few recent inspiring stories of our colleagues impacting our communities below. 

• Store manager sees the possibilities in people 
• Saif fled a war, became a pharmacist, and now helps other refugees
• The pharmacy team who saved a 2-year-old’s life 

There are many more stories on how our extraordinary colleagues are changing lives here. 

DSN: What motivates the CVS team to give back to the community? 
SB: Whether we are working to broaden access to high-quality health care and services, lower costs or drive higher levels of engagement for consumers, we continue to keep people at the heart of everything we do across our business and in the communities where we live and work. 

Through our community-centered strategies and by working with organizations that are grounded in each of the areas we serve, we aim to continue to increase access to health care and services, improve health outcomes and create a healthier, more equitable future for all.