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WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The CVS Health Foundation has announced $4 million in grants over five years as part of its new Healthy Aging initiative to support Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement in Atlanta, Ga., Center for Better Aging in Chicago, IL, EngageWell Independent Provider Association in New York, NY and Palm Health Foundation in Boynton Beach, Fla. Each organization will receive $1 million in funding to improve health care access and resources for aging community members with brain, heart and behavioral conditions, as well as their caregivers.
“People over the age of 65 are enjoying longer, more active lives and make up the largest generation of older adults in U.S. history,” said Sheryl Burke, senior vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer at CVS Health. “We’re excited to work with each of these organizations that are making a significant impact by preparing and providing the health care and resources our communities need for the generational shift of aging Americans.”
Americans are having fewer children and living longer. According to the Census Bureau, more people in the U.S. will likely be over 64 than under 18 by 2034. With this rise in aging Americans, the CVS Health Foundation identified an opportunity to introduce Healthy Aging as a new focus area for giving. The new grants will support organizations working to help simplify a complex care navigation process and bridge a critical gap in local health care and social systems to help older adults lead healthy lives.
Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI)
The Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement will use the grant to enhance its Community Resource Hub to help older adults with brain, heart and behavioral health conditions connect to essential health care and resources. With this funding, ARCHI plans to expand its network of partners to better serve aging adults and improve access to medically tailored meals and educational services.
“Collaboration — like here with the CVS Health Foundation — has shown us that when we work together, we can indeed invert the burden from those who have traditionally been left out of good health, including many of our city’s underserved elders,” said Jeffrey Smythe, executive director of Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement. “The system can indeed bear that burden, we can change the system of care to be more person-centered, and we look forward to this opportunity to further expand the work of these dedicated partners.”
As one of the of partners, Caitlin Behringer at Open Hand Atlanta shares, “We saw tremendous results through our nutrition interventions that were provided to members of the Community Resource Hub, and we know we will continue to see significant improvements in older adults’ health outcomes. Leaders from across multiple of these sectors have come together today because we know this can be a game-changer and we can provide significant improvements to the systems of care for our most marginalized older adults and their caregivers.”
Center for Better Aging
The Center for Better Aging at St. Bernard Hospital will use the grant to improve its coordinated care model, which is designed to address the high rates of chronic conditions in the South Side of Chicago. It will establish a data system to track health outcomes for the aging population and support initiatives to strengthen community connections for residents and their caregivers.
“The Center for Better Aging has a mission to advance quality and equality in health care to underserved communities across Chicago’s South Side where health disparities like coronary heart disease and struggles with cognitive difficulty disproportionately affect older adults,” said Estrelitta Harmon, Executive Director, Center for Better Aging. “Support from the CVS Health Foundation will expand our capacity to detect and address critical brain, heart and mental health conditions and provide first-rate specialty care. The CVS Health Foundation will also support programming and social support for the unpaid caregivers who help older adults to manage these complex conditions.”
The Center for Better Aging and its partners deliver whole-person health care and provide medical and wellness services across the St. Bernard Hospital campus, in-home wellness visits and through community outreach. As a partner of Center for Better Aging, Vivian Moore, LCPC, CCM, SPARC Wellness Care Coordinator shares, “In our partnership with CBA we’ve been able to ensure that patients are not delayed in discharge and we’re not keeping them longer than they need to be kept, but also assuring that when they’re discharged they have the proper equipment with them to support stabilization post-discharge.”
EngageWell Independent Provider Association
EngageWell will deploy the funding to enhance its ongoing work making health care nimbler and more responsive to the aging New York City population. It will allow EngageWell to expand its Care Your Way initiative infrastructure for telemedicine, add additional Community Health Workers and provide medication adherence support for senior citizens with heart and or behavioral health conditions.
“EngageWell is excited to bring our Care Your Way Initiative to older New Yorkers, focusing on low-income elders of color who often experience barriers accessing quality healthcare,” said Christopher Joseph, Executive Director of EngageWell IPA. “Elders in these communities often experience significant challenges due to chronic health conditions exacerbated by socio-economic factors, shortages in geriatric specialists, and difficulties navigating technology and transportation. By harnessing innovative technology with Community Health Worker technical assistance and outreach, we aim to address the unique needs of aging New Yorkers, making a meaningful impact on their health and well-being.”
As a partner of EngageWell and president and CEO of ACCO Asian community Care organization, Tom Gu shares, “We joined EngageWell in 2023 and are proud to serve over 1400 seniors each year. During COVID-19, our seniors faced increased isolation and fear, so we created an app to connect them with much needed support. When we saw how Engage Well was using technology to improve care, we knew we wanted to be part of the network.”
Palm Health Foundation
With this funding, Palm Health Foundation will create a Healthier Aging Initiative as part of its Healthier Boynton Beach to support caregivers who are over 60 years old. Often a caregiver’s own health gets overlooked, so this grant will help to identify, coordinate and connect health and wellness services to caregivers in the community.
“Palm Health Foundation wants to see all Palm Beach County residents have opportunities to thrive and reach their full health potential,” said Patrick McNamara, President and CEO at Palm Health Foundation. “We make progress toward this vision by centering the voices of those we serve. Our Healthier Boynton Beach initiative is community-driven, with caregivers leading solutions for fellow caregivers to improve and sustain their quality of life.”
As part of leading this work, Ricky Petty, Healthier Boynton Beach Project Director shared, “Our community had a conversation about family caregiving and the importance of it and they realized some of the challenges that they face on a day-to-day basis. Challenges such as chronic health conditions, limited access to healthcare, supportive services and the financial strain that it has on families. This initiative is driven by their voice and experience.”
