WOONSOCKET, R.I., Feb. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS
Health (NYSE: CVS) today announced its community-based strategy to
address potential inequities related to COVID-19 vaccine access in
vulnerable communities, with a particular focus on Black and
Hispanic populations. The strategy includes proactive patient
outreach, community-based partnerships and vaccine clinics, and
robust, education-focused marketing, all aimed at increasing
COVID-19 vaccination rates.
"We are committed to reaching people of color and underserved
communities to ensure health equity as we work to vaccinate all
Americans," said Karen S. Lynch,
President and CEO, CVS Health. "Our presence in communities across
the country uniquely positions CVS Health to educate vulnerable
populations and connect them with vaccine administration
services."
There are nearly 10,000 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide, with
almost half located in communities ranked high or very high by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability
Index (SVI). High SVI rank, along with population density and
area demographics, are critical factors CVS Health is using to
prioritize the CVS Pharmacy locations that are offering
appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations. Beginning last week,
select CVS Pharmacy locations in 11 states began offering
vaccinations to eligible populations as part of the federal
pharmacy partnership program. As more supply becomes
available, the company will continue to prioritize these measures
as it expands to additional states, while increasing the number of
stores offering vaccinations.
Helping to ensure equitable access
In communities where COVID-19 vaccines are currently available
at CVS Pharmacy locations, the company is working to help ensure
Black and Hispanic patients have equitable access to
appointments. CVS Health will reach out to CVS Pharmacy
patients, Aetna members, and CVS Caremark members in vulnerable
communities to help them make an appointment and to answer
questions or concerns they may have about being
vaccinated.
Additionally, CVS Health is working with its extensive network
of community-based leaders and nonprofit organizations, including
free and charitable clinics, faith-based organizations and others,
to reach these vulnerable patients and help them make an
appointment. The company is also working with these
nonprofits to distribute educational information on COVID-19
vaccines and underscore the importance of getting
vaccinated.
Community-based vaccination sites with access from
Lyft
To further increase access to vaccines, the company is planning
to use mobile vaccination vans and launch community-based clinics
in March and April, working closely with nonprofit organizations
including the YMCA.
"Throughout the pandemic, the Y has worked to meet the needs of
the 10,000 communities we serve across the United States," said Kevin Washington, president and CEO, YMCA of the
USA. "We are proud to team up with
CVS Health as part of our efforts to help ensure everyone has
equitable access to accurate information about the vaccines and to
the vaccines themselves, especially communities of color, which
have been disproportionately affected by the health and economic
impacts of the virus."
Lyft will work with CVS Health and non-profit partners to help
underserved communities access vaccination appointments by
providing free or discounted rides for those in need. Lyft's
universal vaccine access campaign is a partnership of companies,
community organizations and individuals working together to make
sure everyone has access to affordable, reliable transportation to
get to vaccination appointments when they need to.
"Forty-six percent of Lyft rides start or stop in low income
communities," said John Zimmer,
Co-Founder and President, Lyft. "The combined strength of CVS
Health and Lyft, with our ability to reach vulnerable communities,
enables us to support equitable vaccine access in communities that
need it most. Now more than ever, equity matters."
Education from trusted sources
Building on these efforts, CVS Health will also conduct outreach
to patients in vulnerable communities over the coming weeks and
months with text messages and emails featuring messages from
pharmacists to encourage vaccination and address
hesitancy.
"More than 40 percent of our pharmacists and more than 50
percent of our pharmacy technicians identify as non-white, and they
are important voices in helping people understand the safety and
efficacy of the vaccine," said Neela
Montgomery, President, CVS Pharmacy.
Reaching the widest audience possible
CVS Health has also joined the Ad Council's COVID-19 Vaccine
Education Initiative as a Founding Partner. This extensive
communications effort will educate the public about the importance
of, and work to build confidence in, COVID-19 vaccines with the
goal of increasing vaccination uptake, particularly among Black and
Hispanic audiences.
CVS Health will supplement this collaborative effort with a
significant CVS Pharmacy marketing campaign focused on reaching
vulnerable communities with educational information. With
content available in both English and Spanish, components of the
campaign are designed to reach specific audiences, including
leveraging CVS Health's role as a Founding Partner of the Black
Information Network.
"We recently published new data showing 35 percent of Black
survey participants do not plan on receiving a vaccine when it is
first available, which is up nearly 10 percent from our November
survey," said Sree Chaguturu, M.D.,
Senior Vice President, CVS Health and Chief Medical Officer, CVS
Caremark. "These data underscore the importance of our
commitment to monitor equity in vaccine distribution and help
support education and access."
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a different kind of health care company. We are a
diversified health services company with nearly 300,000 employees
united around a common purpose of helping people on their path to
better health. In an increasingly connected and digital world, we
are meeting people wherever they are and changing health care to
meet their needs. Built on a foundation of unmatched community
presence, our diversified model engages one in three Americans each
year. From our innovative new services at HealthHUB® locations, to
transformative programs that help manage chronic conditions, we are
making health care more accessible, more affordable and simply
better. Learn more about how we're transforming health at
www.cvshealth.com.
About Lyft's Universal Vaccine Access Campaign
The universal vaccine access campaign is part of a LyftUp
initiative, a partnership of companies, community organizations and
individuals working together to help underserved communities access
vaccination appointments by providing subsidized rides for
employees and members, and free or discounted rides for those in
need. Companies wishing to support the universal vaccine access
campaign can email Lyft at supportlyftup@lyft.com or go to Rides
for all with LyftUp | Lyft.
Media Contact:
Erin
Britt
Corporate Communications
(401) 318-3962
Erin.Britt@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health