Aetna Better Health Donates $65,000 to R.E.A.C.H. to Provide Health Services to Hispanic Community in Nevada

LAS VEGAS, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aetna Better Health of Nevada¹, the Medicaid managed care business of Aetna^®, a CVS Health^® company (NYSE: CVS), today announced it has donated $65,000 to R.E.A.C.H., a non-profit organization that works to improve community health services and access to care in Nevada. The funding will help individuals with or without health insurance to receive basic health care services at no cost.

"Making sure underserved communities have access to vital health services aligns with our broader community-based strategy to ensure health equity," said Dwayne Dabbs, Interim CEO, Aetna Better Health of Nevada. "Through our partnership with R.E.A.C.H., we have an opportunity to build on a shared commitment to address health disparities, reduce barriers to care and promote improved health outcomes in vulnerable populations." 

Throughout the year, Aetna and R.E.A.C.H. will host 'La Ruta de la Salud Aetna / The Aetna Route of Health' community events in low-income areas of Clark and Washoe Counties. The R.E.A.C.H. team will bring its mobile health clinic to each event where individuals and families in attendance can access services at no cost. Services may include basic adult and pediatric wellness exams, vision screenings, glucose, blood pressure and HIV tests. The services offered at each event will vary and staffing may include physicians, pharmacists, social workers, peer support recovery specialists, community health workers, promotoras or others from local organizations and nonprofits.

Additionally, $15,000 of Aetna's contribution will go toward the R.E.A.C.H. Relief Program, providing economic support to 150 families in need through $100 gift cards. Since the program's inception in 2020, more than 4,200 Nevada families in need have received gift cards to use toward the purchase of essential items such as diapers, toiletries, prescriptions, food and bills.  

"Latinos are disproportionately burdened with chronic diseases that can negatively affect quality of life, morbidity and mortality," said Luis Aceves, Implementation and Development Manager for R.E.A.C.H. "We are grateful to Aetna for this generous contribution that will help us provide much-needed health services and make a significant impact for local families to improve their health and wellbeing."

On Friday, June 4 and Saturday, June 5, R.E.A.C.H.'s mobile health clinic will be on-hand at Aetna's Community Vaccine Clinics at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior Center in North Las Vegas. Aetna is hosting free, walk-in vaccine clinics to the public to encourage vaccine confidence and help families resume pre-pandemic activities. The COVID-19 vaccine is available at no cost. While walk-ins are welcome, individuals who wish to get vaccinated at an Aetna Vaccine Clinic are encouraged to schedule an appointment online by visiting the Aetna community clinic website. The R.E.A.C.H. team will be in attendance both days from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to assist Spanish-speaking attendees with language and cultural translations.

Details about upcoming 'La Ruta de la Salud Aetna / The Aetna Route of Health' events will be available at www.reachlv.org. 

ABOUT R.E.A.C.H.
Research Education and Access for Community Health (R.E.A.C.H.) is a non-profit organization with more than 11 years serving the Hispanic community through its various free care programs for the benefit of the Hispanic community regardless of their legal status, sex, race, gender, preferences, origin, language, etc. Our mission is to provide free or low-cost education, health services and referrals while providing access to health for the Hispanic community in the state of Nevada. The challenges are new and growing due to the barriers faced by the Latino community such as language, legal status and lack of information. During the last year of the Covid19 pandemic, we have made different efforts such as digital guides of resources and references, Covid19 tests, development of the first economic support program for people without legal status in the country, online informative seminars and Covid19 vaccines adding up to now 122k people served. We work with the heart, we take care of our community and its needs, we reach lives and change them with our mission. For more information visit www.reachlv.org.

ABOUT AETNA MEDICAID
Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC (Aetna Medicaid), a CVS Health company, has over 30 years of experience managing the care of the most medically vulnerable, using innovative approaches and a local presence in each market to achieve both successful health care results and effective cost outcomes. Aetna Medicaid has particular expertise serving high-need Medicaid members, including those who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Currently, Aetna Medicaid owns and/or administers Medicaid managed health care plans under the names of Aetna Better Health and other affiliate names. Together, these plans serve approximately 2.8 million people in 15 states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Texas. For more information, see www.aetnabetterhealth.com.

Media contact
Leigh Woodward
860-900-6058
Woodwardl1@cvshealth.com 

¹ Aetna Better Health of Nevada is a trade name for Aetna Health of Utah Inc.

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SOURCE CVS Health