CVS Health Foundation awards $1M to Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Funds will support programs that work to increase access to prenatal health services in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, RI, July 9, 2024 – CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS) and its Foundation today announced a $1 million grant to support Women and Babies Hospital’s ongoing work to increase access to services of maternal health, including staff development programs and their staff. start a new postpartum line.

«Our commitment to women’s health includes improving access to services needed for healthy pregnancy, birth and postpartum care,» said Sheryl Burke, SVP of Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief Sustainability. Officer at CVS Health. «By supporting Women’s and Children’s Hospital, we hope to strengthen their incredible work to ensure our neighbors receive consistent, high-quality care where they need it most.»

As part of the Women & Infants Hospital WIH ECHO umbrella program, the CVS Health Foundation grant will help hire additional staff to support its Postpartum Hypertension Equity Program, which began in 2022. The program provides blood pressure cuffs and training to all eligible patients before discharge to better understand when to seek medical help in the comfort of their own homes. Patients consistently highlight the program as life-changing, and it has significantly reduced the number of patients returning to the Emergency Department with blood pressure-related complications.

«This grant from CVS Health allows Women and Babies Hospital to continue successful programs like our Postpartum Hypertension Equity Program and to build on that progress to expand access to the community,» said Methodius G. Tuuli, MD, MPH, MBA, Chief Experience Officer. and Gynecology, Women & Children’s Hospital. «This initial investment in WIH ECHO will benefit Rhode Islanders for years to come.»

Knowing that 80% of Rhode Island’s community donates to Women’s and Children’s Hospital, the grant will also support their new mobile van, which will help remove transportation as a barrier to accessing post-hospital care. to give birth. The mobile van will provide a variety of services, including blood pressure management, contraceptive counseling, mental health screenings and breastfeeding support.

There are approximately 6,000 employees working across the country, in its corporate offices, distribution centers, or providing care through 60 pharmacies, MinuteClinic®, specialty drug locations and Oak Street Health®, and for Aetna®’s one million members, supporting Rhode Island is part of CVS Health’s commitment to building a world of health around every community it calls home. CVS Health awarded $3.8 million last year to support organizations in Rhode Island working to expand access to health care and provide people with supportive services such as workforce training, education and healthy food. In addition to grants, the company provides free health screenings to the Rhode Island community through its Project Health program throughout the year. Participants often refer to the program as a ‘savior’ and an opportunity to take control of their lives. In 2023, CVS Health held 45 Project Health events in Rhode Island and evaluated 1,701 participants, resulting in 5,954 evaluations. 70% of participants had at least one missing test result. All participants have an on-site consultation with a nurse and are given a directory of local health care providers and resources after the test. The complete Project Health program can be accessed online or through its iPhone or Android app.

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About CVS Health

CVS Health® is a leading health solutions company, providing care like no other. We reach more people and improve public health across America through our local presence, digital channels and more than 300,000 dedicated colleagues – including more than 40,000 doctors, pharmacists, nurses and nurses. Wherever and whenever people need us, we help them with their health – whether it’s managing chronic diseases, adhering to their medications or accessing health and wellness services in ways the simplest ones. We help people manage the health system – and their health care – by improving the experience, reducing costs and being a trusted partner for every meaningful health moment . And we do everything from the heart, every day. Follow @CVSHalth on social media.

About the Women’s and Infants Hospital

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation’s most specialized hospitals for women and newborns. Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School’s major teaching institution for obstetrics, gynecology, and neonatology, as well as multiple specialty programs in gynecology, Women & Infants is a nine-service largest independent in the country. the largest in New England with about 8,700 properties a year. Women & Infants is a Designated Baby-Friendly® Hospital in the USA and was recently selected by Newsweek as one of the Best Maternity Hospitals in America in 2024. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is ranked 11 in US News and World Report 2019 special status of Medical Schools of Medicine.

Women and Infants has been designated a Breast Practice Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiography; Center of Excellence in Gynecology; and the Center for Neonatal Services Resource of Excellence. It is one of the largest research centers for high-risk and common obstetric, gynecological, and neonatal diseases in the country, and is a member of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network, and Pelvic Floors Disorders Network, as well as the National Cancer Institute’s Gynecologic Oncology Group.

Media Names

Courtney Tavener
(401) 712-3698
Courtney.Tavener@CVSHealth.com

Tara Burke
(203) 212-1059
Tara.Burke@CVSHealth.com

Doreen Scanlon Gavigan
(401) 681-2817
DGavigan@CareNE.org