WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health said that it is embarking on a pilot project in the Tri-Cities area of Atlanta, Georgia, aimed at addressing diabetes in medically underserved communities with chronically high rates of this disease.  In collaboration with Rimidi, Inc., a digital health company, and select community organizations, CVS Health will work to heighten awareness of diabetes and improve access to care among Tri-Cities area residents.

Through the collaboration, CVS Health and Rimidi will engage community-based organizations to ensure that at-risk residents can be identified for participation in the program. This grassroots approach will help ensure residents have access to care in their own communities with the help of best-in-class organizations that are providing health care and community services for those who need it most.

“Like many major U.S cities, Atlanta has significant disparities in life-expectancy across the metropolitan area, from 71 years in medically underserved communities to 84 years in more affluent neighborhoods. Our collaboration with CVS Health will build on the foundation laid by community partners to address these needs and to bring health care services to people where they live and work,” said Dr. Lucienne Ide, Rimidi chair.

Together with community organizations, Rimidi and CVS Health will enroll residents onto the Rimidi platform and engage them in the diabetes education and support services offered through the pilot. The combination of hyper-local health care services through a pilot CVS Pharmacy location and digital services through Rimidi aims to decrease barriers to care and improve the patient experience. CVS pharmacists and community certified diabetes educators will have the goal of supporting participants throughout the continuum of care, providing additional touch points designed to address their individual needs between primary care visits.

“CVS Health has a community-based focus, engaging consumers with the care they need when and where they need it, including through face-to-face contact with CVS pharmacists right in their neighborhoods,” said Thomas Moriarty, chief policy and external affairs officer, CVS Health. “The organizations that we collaborate with, such as Rimidi, are helping us deliver on our purpose of helping people on their path to better health.”

CVS Health has a longstanding commitment to building healthier communities for the people of Georgia. Through its employee volunteer program, CVS Health colleagues logged more than 680 volunteer hours last year in Georgia in support of local community causes throughout the state. Additionally, over the past three years, CVS Health has contributed nearly $850,000 to local community organizations in Georgia, lending its support to programs that improve access to health care; provide chronic disease management; promote smoking cessation and youth tobacco prevention; and help combat prescription drug abuse.