WOONSOCKET, R.I., Sept. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In its continuing commitment to improve access to affordable health care for all Americans, CVS Health [NYSE: CVS] is expanding its annual Project Health campaign to include locations across Rhode Island. Beginning this Thursday, September 6, a total of 24 free health and wellness screenings will take place at CVS Pharmacy locations across Rhode Island over the next two months in multicultural communities with a large number of uninsured or underinsured Americans.
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.
"Project Health is part of CVS Health's commitment to improving access to quality care by identifying health concerns and risk factors for participants who may not have otherwise sought preventative care," said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health. "Chronic conditions, which can often be life-threatening, can be treated very effectively when identified early at screenings such as Project Health, and can help to improve a patient's health and well-being."
Today, one in two Americans has at least one chronic illness with 85 percent of our health care dollars spent each year caring for patients with these diseases. According to a national survey by Morning Consult on behalf of CVS Health, 60 percent of respondents view costs as a barrier to being as healthy as they would like to be. "Preventative screenings also help to reduce costs for both the patient and the overall health care delivery system," added Brennan.
Project Health events, which will be held on Thursday – Sunday in rotating stores across Rhode Island from September 6 through October 21, are open to everyone and do not require an appointment.
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.
Since it was established in 2006, Project Health has delivered more than $122 million in free health care services to more than 930,000 people across the country. Rhode Island is one of 11 markets where Project Health screenings will take place through December.
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,800 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 94 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated 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.
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