CVS Caremark Surprises Women & Infants Hospital with Check for $97,000

Representatives of Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island were pleasantly surprised on Tuesday when CVS Caremark colleagues showed up at their doorstep with a check for $97,000 from the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, a private foundation created by (NYSE: CVS.) The visit was part of CVS Caremark’s nationwide “Day of Giving,” a one-day event which included visits from CVS Caremark colleagues to several deserving nonprofits across the country, surprising them with the grant funding they had requested. 

The visits were timed to coincide with the announcement that $4.3 million has been awarded in grants from the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust to 98 nonprofit organizations across the country as part of the 2011 grant cycle, which includes multi-year grants from previous years. Other grant recipients in Rhode Island include:  Children’s Friend and Service, The Highlander Charter School, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Ocean Community YMCA, Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School and Thundermist.

“How pleasant to see CVS Caremark colleagues at our doorstep with a large check for the amount in funding we had requested for our Transition Home Plus program,” said Betty Vohr, M.D., Woman & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. “The grant will enable us to expand this successful program  to families living in Massachusetts. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust for their incredible commitment and their support for this program.”

The Transition Home Plus program was developed by Dr. Vohr to assist families of the most vulnerable premature infants who are at increased risk of medical, behavioral and neurodevelopmental problems once they are discharged from the hospital. Transition Home Plus is a comprehensive parent education and support program that improves care and reduces costs for a very high-risk population of preterm infants.  The program has been able to significantly reduce rehospitalizations and has resulted in fewer infants with respiratory problems, fewer accidents and increased breastfeeding.

“We are so excited to help Women & Infants Hospital start 2012 in a positive way with much-needed funding,” said Eileen Howard Boone, Vice President, CVS Caremark Charitable Trust.  “All of the nonprofit organizations we support share our commitment to providing greater access to health care and medical services and improving the lives of children with disabilities.  The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust is honored to work with Women & Infants and all of its nonprofit partners to help people on their path to better health.”

The 2011 grant recipients were chosen through the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust's annual grant cycle in which awards range from $10,000 to $50,000 for one-year support.  These grants align with the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust’s efforts to improve the quality of health and well-being of underserved populations and also align with CVS Caremark All Kids Can, a signature program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark that is committed to supporting children with disabilities.

To follow all the Day of Giving activities, search for #CVSTrustGivingDay on Twitter. For more information on the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust please visit http://info.cvscaremark.com/community/our-impact/charitable-trust.