WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health has kicked off Project Health, its annual campaign to foster access to primary care and promote a preventive approach to health care.

CVS said Wednesday that, from Sept. 8 to Dec. 18, it will provide nearly $8 million of free health services through more than 500 Project Health events at CVS Pharmacy locations in 10 multicultural communities nationwide.

Services available at Project Health events include health risk assessments, including screenings for blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), glucose and total cholesterol. Once patients are screened, CVS Pharmacy guides them through on-site consultations with bilingual (English/Spanish) nurse practitioners or physician assistants, who analyze results and refer patients needing additional medical attention to no-cost or low-cost health providers nearby or to their primary care doctor.

CVS pharmacists are also available to conduct one-on-one medication reviews and answer any questions patients may have.

“Despite the increased number of Americans who have become insured over the past five years, there are still barriers to quality care, such as cost and access, for many patients,” CVS Health chief medical officer Troyen Brennan said in a statement. “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.”

Project Health events will be held in the Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., markets, as well as at CVS Pharmacy stores in Puerto Rico through November.

CVS said that since Project Health’s launch in 2006, the campaign has delivered more than $112 million of free health services to about 872,000 people, many of whom were uninsured or underinsured. In Project Health events over that time span, high rates of certain treatable conditions were identified, with 53% of participants found to be overweight or obese, 38% having abnormal blood pressure readings, 26% having abnormal glucose readings, and 37% having abnormal cholesterol levels.

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services applauds CVS Health on their Project Health initiative,” stated Kevin Counihan, director and marketplace chief executive officer at CMS.  “We thank them for their continued commitment to providing free health screenings and educational materials ensuring better health for many Americans.”