CVS Health Introduces Community Equity Alliance

Jan. 30, 2023
CVS Health has launched a new initiative focusing on health disparities through collaborations with Meharry Medical College, Sinai Chicago, and Wayne State University

On Jan. 26, CVS Health announced via a press release that it is launching a new initiative that aims to address barriers to care in underserved communities. The initiative, dubbed the CVS Health Community Equity Alliance, will focus on expanding the community health worker workforce, improving connections between healthcare institutions and communities, and addressing disparities in heart health and mental health outcomes.

The press release states that “The first institutions joining the initiative are Nashville, Tenn.-based Meharry Medical College, Sinai Chicago, and Detroit-based Wayne State University. CVS Health is providing funding to each institution for locally tailored initiatives and will bring Alliance members together to share best practices and work to integrate lessons learned into the Company’s health equity strategy.”

“Sinai Chicago and CVS Health will focus on engaging the community in the North Lawndale neighborhood in Chicago,” the release notes. “Through the collaboration, Sinai Chicago and CVS Health will provide residents with tailored health and social resources to address health disparities, with a focus on heart health and mental health. Sinai Chicago will also recruit residents in local neighborhoods to become community health workers through its Block Leaders program. As a community health worker, individuals are trained to connect local residents with critical health information and resources, while building their own career paths in healthcare.”

Meharry Medical College and CVS Health will collaborate on the recruitment and training of community health workers, increasing diversity among local clinicians, and decreasing health disparities in heart and mental health. According to the release, community health workers will partner with faith-based or community-based organizations to provide health education and assist historically marginalized communities to access health resources. Meharry Medical College will also operate a continuing education program for healthcare professionals.

The partnership with the Wayne State University Center for Health Equity and Community Knowledge in Urban Populations (CHECK-UP) will create a multi-sector community coalition that aims to integrate community voice and align community resources to decrease heart health and mental health disparities in Detroit. Additionally, the collaboration will focus on training staff and community members on best practices in community-engaged research and increase opportunities for the health workers to expand their skills.

Joneigh Khaldun, M.D., vice president and chief health equity officer, CVS Health, was quoted in the release saying that “The Alliance is being established to elevate the voices, needs and experiences of local communities, as institutions work to remove barriers to equitable care. These collaborations will help us deliver on our health equity strategy and commitment to making healthcare accessible for everyone.”  

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