CVS pledges $15M to AHA initiative, offers free heart screenings through February
CVS Health announced Feb. 4 it will be offering free “Know Your Numbers” heart health screenings every Thursday this month—including Valentine’s Day—in an effort to boost CVD prevention across the country.
According to a press release, the company’s no-cost preventive screenings will include readings for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index—the five key numbers endorsed by the American Heart Association for assessing heart disease risk. Screenings will be available at CVS MinuteClinics, where run-of-the-mill health screenings cost between $59 and $69 and high blood pressure and cholesterol tests routinely exceed $100.
In addition, CVS announced it’s extending its partnership with the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women campaign with a three-year, $15 million commitment.
“Women tend to put others before themselves, but it is imperative that women make their heart health a priority,” Jennifer Mieres, MD, the AHA campaign’s medical expert, said in the release. “The stark reality is that cardiovascular diseases continue to be a woman’s greatest health threat, claiming the lives of one in three women. But by empowering women to be aware—which includes knowing your numbers—move more, eat smart and manage blood pressure, we can change that fact.”
Shoppers can also choose to donate to the campaign at CVS registers, according to the release. For a free screening, download and print this voucher and take it to a MinuteClinic registration kiosk Feb. 7, 14, 21 or 28.
“Health starts at the community level,” said Lisa Bisaccia, chief human resources officer for CVS Health. “That’s why we feel we can make a real difference by increasing access to cardiovascular screenings and providing customers with an opportunity to show their support for family, friends and neighbors who are affected by cardiovascular disease.”
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.