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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As part of a continuing commitment to building healthier communities, CVS Health celebrated this week the expansion of its annual Project Health free health screening campaign to Sacramento with a fun-filled community event at CVS Pharmacy, 1587 W El Camino Avenue, in Sacramento. Thursday’s event is one of 32 free health screenings that will take place in the Sacramento area between now and June 30.
The event also included the presentation of a $75,000 grant from the CVS Health Foundation to the Sacramento Native American Health Center to help expand opioid treatment options locally. The funds will be used to help engage more patients with internal treatment options like medication-assisted treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-focused CBT and integrative or holistic therapies, which have shown to provide greater success in abstinence from substances.
“CVS Health is committed to expanding access to quality and affordable care, both through our retail footprint and with national and local non-profits and organizations who share our belief that better health starts at the community level,” said Garth Graham, vice president of Community Health and Impact, CVS Health. “We are thrilled to be here today in Sacramento celebrating the expansion of Project Health, and look forward to providing local residents with free health screenings over the next two months, as part of our commitment to building healthier communities.”
Project Health events, which will be held on Thursdays and Sundays in rotating stores across Sacramento through June, are open to everyone and do not require an appointment. Project Health offers an array of free comprehensive health assessment screenings, including blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), glucose and total cholesterol screenings, which can help detect risk for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
The expansion of Project Health will also do more to screen for social determinants of health that affect personal health and communities. About 60% of life expectancy is driven by behavioral, social and environmental factors including family, education, housing, and access to fresh food. Project Health events have a proven track record of improving patient engagement and ultimately, healthier outcomes.
Once screened, patients have access to on-site consultations with bilingual nurse practitioners or physician assistants who will analyze results and refer patients who require additional medical care and follow up to no-cost or low-cost medical facilities nearby or to their primary care physician.
Sacramento is one of five cities in California where a total of 256 Project Health screenings will take place this year through December. Events are occurring year-round in Los Angeles, and took place earlier this year in Fresno and San Francisco. Project Health will begin in the San Diego area in July.
Since it was established in 2006, Project Health has delivered more than $127 million in free health care services to nearly 1.7 million people in multicultural communities with a large number of uninsured or underinsured Americans.
