CVS recognized for citizenship, volunteerism

Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS Health has been recognized by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. The ‘Civic 50’ provides a national standard for corporate citizenship and showcases how companies can use their time, skills and other resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business.

The Civic 50 companies were announced at the Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service currently taking place in Seattle.

"We are fortunate at CVS Health to have colleagues and customers who are generous with their time, expertise and giving to make meaningful differences in the communities we serve," said Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health, in a press release. "As a pharmacy innovation company committed to helping people on their path to better health, we're always looking to identify new and effective ways to make our communities healthier places to work and live."

CVS Health's recognition among the Civic 50 follows the recent release of the company's 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, which highlights a year-round commitment to driving community impact, the company said. In 2016, CVS contributed more than $90 million in community support through CVS Health Foundation giving, corporate grants, gifts in-kind and employee volunteerism, which grew year-over-year by 65 percent.

In addition, the company continued to innovate to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the community, CVS said. Last year, for example, CVS connected more than 100,000 people with limited resources to preventive health services through a program called Project Health.

CVS also encourages its colleagues to participate in year-round pro-bono projects and skills-based volunteerism. For example, through a program called Pharmacists Teach, the company's pharmacists have visited high school health classes across the country, educating more than 275,000 students about the dangers of drug abuse.

"At CVS Health, our purpose is helping people on their path to better health, and we are committed to leveraging our resources, skills and experience to make a difference in our communities," said Eileen Howard Boone, senior vice president for corporate social responsibility and philanthropy at CVS and president of the CVS Health Foundation.

To learn more about The Civic 50, visit http://www.Civic50.org.