Boston, MA – The Greater Boston YMCA’s Wang branch of Chinatown recently received a $5,000 CVS Caremark Community Grant. The Community Grants Program was created by CVS Caremark as part of its commitment to helping people on the path to better health by creating greater access to health care and health education for at-risk and underserved populations. The support from CVS Caremark will help adult cancer survivors – at all stages of diagnosis and treatment – reclaim their health and well-being following a cancer diagnosis. Through the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program, the Y creates caring communities amongst cancer survivors, and guides them through a safe physical activity program designed to build stamina, strength and stress resilience.
The YMCA of Greater Boston is currently in collaboration with LIVESTRONG USA. LIVESTRONG USA is a nationally based group which aims to improve the cancer experience, by raising awareness and facilitating collaborations. LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a group fitness program, which helps adult cancer survivors reclaim their health and well-being following a cancer diagnosis. The program focuses on supporting the physical and emotional needs of cancer survivors who find themselves in the transitional period between cancer treatments to the shift to their “new normal”. This CVS Caremark Community Grant will increase the reach of this program within the community, allowing cancer survivors to obtain the support they need following treatment.
“As a pharmacy innovation company, we are committed to helping people on their path to better health and supporting organizations that reduce barriers and increase access to quality health care services to at-risk and underserved populations,” said Kevin Hourican, Senior Vice President, CVS/pharmacy East Operations. “We are proud to support the work that the Wang YMCA of Chinatown does in the community and we look forward to working with them in fulfilling their program’s mission.”
The Wang YMCA of Chinatown was selected to receive a grant through the CVS Caremark Community Grants 2013 application process. Grants were awarded to organizations that support CVS Caremark’s commitment to enhance the health and well-being for at-risk and underserved populations by offering quality health and rehabilitation services and health education. The goal of the CVS Caremark Community Grants Program is to provide relief for both adults and children who lack medical insurance and help ensure they receive the proper medical care they need.
The YMCA of Greater Boston was recently selected by Yale University and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to take part in the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA research project, which will measure national impact of the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program. Yale University and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, along with other leading research institutions around the nation, will study the impact of the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program on fitness, quality of life, body composition and other cancer-related outcome in cancer survivors. With the national impact measured, these institutes hope to better understand the unique needs of cancer survivors, so they can be better supported and served.
The Wang YMCA offers a wide range of health and wellness programs and activities for all ages and abilities, and is dedicated to improving the health of mind, body, and spirit of individuals and families in the community.
About CVS Caremark
CVS Caremark is dedicated to helping people on their path to better health as the largest integrated pharmacy company in the United States. Through the company’s more than 7,400 CVS/pharmacy stores; its leading pharmacy benefit manager serving more than 60 million plan members; and its retail health clinic system, the largest in the nation with more than 600 MinuteClinic locations, it is a market leader in mail order, retail and specialty pharmacy, retail clinics, and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans. As a pharmacy innovation company with an unmatched breadth of capabilities, CVS Caremark continually strives to improve health and lower costs by developing new approaches such as its unique Pharmacy Advisor program that helps people with chronic diseases such as diabetes obtain and stay on their medications. Find more information about how CVS Caremark is reinventing pharmacy for better health at info.cvscaremark.com.