CVS Caremark, along with IBM, announced a commitment to the "Technology Solutions for Smarter Health" grant program, which is in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers. The $1.5 million contribution supports the use of innovative technology among community health centers to improve patient care as well as increase patient engagement.
These grants are awarded to community health centers across the nation that are in need of technologies that can help people get on a path to better health. The funds can be used to enhance the current infrastructure, to help the community health centers communicate and share health information with patients through electronic messaging and allow patients the ability to view, download, and transmit their health information online.
There are more than 9,000 community health centers throughout the United States that are providing care to over 22 million people, especially in rural and urban neighborhoods, where the community health centers make access to health care easier and more affordable. For over 40 years these health centers have been such an integral part of the U.S. health care system, especially for the poor. Increasing technology capabilities in these health centers can improve the health of populations that are being serviced by the community health centers.
The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust has also been involved with awarding grants over the past 2 years to community health centers with "Innovations in Community Health," which has focused on the treatment of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. This grant program helped increase access to quality health care and produced better health outcomes while reducing costs for both patients and the health care systems.
