OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its
commitment to building healthier communities, CVS Health (NYSE:
CVS) today announced it will be providing $750,000 over the next three years to the
national Harm Reduction Coalition to improve the health and
wellness of California residents
impacted by prescription opioid misuse and abuse.
Harm Reduction Coalition, or HRC, is a national
capacity-building and advocacy organization that promotes the
health and dignity of individuals and communities affected by drug
abuse and drug-related policies and provides a critical voice for
those in the most vulnerable communities. The new funding from CVS
Health will help support HRC as they tackle critical health issues
faced by the California community
related to prescription opioid misuse and abuse.
"We can help improve the health outcomes of our communities by
strengthening our local support and empowering local organizations
that are developing innovative solutions," said Kristen Miranda, California Market President for
Aetna, a CVS Health company. "We know that so many communities
across the country – including in California – have been impacted by widespread
prescription opioid misuse and abuse. Our work with the HRC will
support their efforts to address several elements of this
significant public health issue in California and help local residents on their
path to better health."
The funding will support HRC's Community Engagement Network to
Expand Resources (CENTER) Initiative – a three-year, state-wide
effort designed to expand, develop and deepen harm reduction
services throughout California.
CENTER will be focused on convening diverse stakeholders to address
drug-related stigmas, supporting syringe services programs with
training and technical assistance, hosting state and national
conferences and developing culturally relevant resources as a means
to be better equipped to respond to the needs of people who misuse
and abuse prescription drugs, their families, and impacted
communities in California.
The CVS Health grant will be highlighted at a Harm
Reduction Coalition training event and discussion taking place
December 11 and 12 at the
University of California, Fresno
Center. The event is open to community members and service
providers in the Central Valley that are focused on evidence-based
strategies to address issues related to prescription opioid misuse
and abuse.
"We have over 25 years of experience preventing overdose and
drug-related harms through resources and education that are rooted
in evidence and compassion," said Dr. Taeko
Frost, Senior Director of Innovation and Strategy for Harm
Reduction Coalition. "We know that harm reduction programs have
been operating on shoestring budgets for years, only reaching the
people most at risk of overdose. The CENTER Initiative will allow
us to strengthen those programs through training and
capacity-building, to build partnerships with other local programs,
including health care providers and drug treatment access points,
and to create a comprehensive statewide network for providers who
can meaningfully engage with at-risk community members."
Building Healthier Communities by Addressing Prescription
Opioid Misuse and Abuse
The grant is part of CVS Health's
Building Healthier Communities initiative, which is a
commitment to making community health and wellness central to the
newly combined company's charge for a better world.
Through Building Healthier Communities, CVS Health and
its charitable foundations will support a range of initiatives and
non-profit organizations across three categories: improving
local access to affordable quality care; impacting public health
challenges; and partnering with local communities.
One of the primary public health issues the company is
addressing is the impact of the misuse and abuse of prescription
opioids in communities around the country. CVS Health and Aetna's
expansive reach, expertise and access to local communities position
us to help fight prescription opioid abuse for the people we serve.
Our comprehensive strategy focused on prevention, intervention and
support, builds on years of innovative programs and allows us to
identify new opportunities for impact. The company has made
an enterprise-wide commitment to help address the
inappropriate use of prescription opioids by
designing programs that increase access to safe medication
disposal, encourage appropriate utilization, educate patients at
the pharmacy and teens and parents in communities, expand access to
life-saving antidotes, work with providers to ensure they are
following evidence-based opioid prescribing guidelines, and support
local recovery programs.
This grant is part of CVS Health's commitment to investing in
California's health care delivery
system, reflected in the November
2018 agreement between CVS Health and California's Department of Managed Health Care
(DMHC).
About Harm Reduction Coalition
Harm Reduction
Coalition is a national advocacy and capacity-building organization
that promotes the health and dignity of individuals and communities
impacted by drug use. Our efforts advance harm reduction policies,
practices and programs that address the adverse effects of drug use
including overdose, HIV, hepatitis C, addiction, and incarceration.
Recognizing that social inequality and injustice magnify
drug-related harm and limit the voice of our most vulnerable
communities, we work to uphold every individual's right to health
and well-being and their competence to participate in the public
policy dialogue.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is the nation's premier
health innovation company helping people on their path to better
health. Whether in one of its pharmacies or through its health
services and plans, CVS Health is pioneering a bold new approach to
total health by making quality care more affordable, accessible,
simple and seamless. CVS Health is community-based and locally
focused, engaging consumers with the care they need when and where
they need it. The company has approximately 9,900 retail locations,
approximately 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy
benefits manager with more than 102 million plan members, a
dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one
million patients per year and expanding specialty pharmacy
services. CVS Health also serves an estimated 38 million people
through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health
insurance products and related services, including rapidly
expanding Medicare Advantage offerings and a leading standalone
Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The company believes its
innovative health care model increases access to quality care,
delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care
costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the
future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.
Media Contact
Ethan Slavin
SlavinE@aetna.com
860-273-6095
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cvs-health-announces-750k-in-new-funding-for-california-harm-reduction-coalition-300973578.html
SOURCE CVS Health