Highlights
A Collaboration of Supplier Diversity and Project Health by CVS Health to Serve Underserved Communities
Supplier diversity began as a limited program initiative in
most organizations, but the most successful ones have
transformed diversity, equity, and inclusion into embedded
value-creating operating principles touching all aspects
of the business. That describes CVS Health, which has
blended supplier diversity and the delivery of healthcare services
and supplies to underserved communities nationwide. Through its
strategic collaborations with diverse and small business suppliers
and social agencies and access to an extensive network of businesses,
CVS Health has developed a deep understanding of how the
organization can best meet the physical and mental health needs
of people in the markets served. Arising from this understanding
is Project Health by CVS Health, which provides free community
health screenings to underserved populations at locations across
the country. Minority-owned Quilez & Associates is the supplier
that implemented and continues to expand Project Health by CVS
Health across the country.
DOING HEALTHY BUSINESS
At CVS Health, the approach to diversity touches every aspect of
the business, considers every population served, and informs how
the business impacts people and society. That is why the company
is committed to advancing an increasingly diverse marketplace that
mirrors the people served, ensuring all businesses are provided
equal opportunity to be included in the enterprise procurement
processes. The success of the Supplier Diversity program reflects
CVS Health's commitment to small and diverse suppliers across
the country, a commitment backed up by a significant investment
in resources. The resources include providing the suppliers with
education, training, and networking opportunities that help them
harness the skills needed to reach their full potential. This approach
fuels economic growth and builds strong communities. In 2022
alone, the continued efforts to advance supplier diversity resulted
in a $7.4B production impact, $4.2B in diverse spend, and more
than 41,000 new jobs that infused capital back into communities
that need it most.
Supporting diverse business enterprises is a win-win effort.
The Supplier Diversity Program delivers development and growth
opportunities to diverse and small businesses. However, CVS Health
also gets measurable value. “At CVS Health, we're committed to developing
supplier relationships that reflect the diversity of the world
around us. We’ve seen the impact and power an inclusive supply
chain can yield. It builds on the strength of our business, grows the
national economy, and improves the overall health of populations.
Through strategic collaborations like Project Health by CVS Health,
we continue to bring accessible health care to the doorsteps of small
businesses and minority and women-owned enterprises who need us
most—leaving the communities we serve better than we found them,”
says Monette Knapik, Executive Director, Enterprise Procurement.
Supplier Diversity is considered “healthy business,” a pillar in the
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy and a key
contributor to the Healthy 2030 impact.
To strengthen and expand the Supplier Diversity Program, the
CVS Health Supplier Diversity Team regularly sponsors and attends
supplier diversity advocacy conferences, including the National
Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the Women's
Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the National LGBT
Chamber of Council (NGLCC), and the US Hispanic Chamber
of Commerce (USHCC). Now in its ninth year, CVS Health also
collaborates with Roger Williams University to offer the Executive
Learning Series (ELS) for Diverse Suppliers. The training and
mentorship program helps vendors develop strategic planning,
marketing, social media, communication, and presentation skills.
The success of the ELS supports CVS Health’s commitment to
advancing Social Justice and Equity. The business development
programming was extended to Historically Black Colleges & Universities
for further impact.
THE COLLABORATION OF PROJECT
HEALTH BY CVS HEALTH AND
QUILEZ & ASSOCIATES
CVS Health is fully committed to an environmental, social, and
governance (ESG) strategy named Healthy 2030. The primary goal
is to make “healthier” happen for communities, colleagues, and
stockholders. One of the many projects the ESG strategy includes is
Project Health by CVS Health, which takes no-cost health screenings
and healthcare resources to communities to help people proactively
identify chronic conditions. The program has grown substantially
since its inception through the efforts of the diverse supplier Quilez
& Associates, taking healthcare events to people where they live,
work, and worship and remaining a presence in the community.
Quilez & Associates (Q&A) is managed by brothers Carlos
Quilez, Chief Operations Officer and Iker Quilez, Chief Technology
Officer. Since 1989, the company has been delivering health screenings
to African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, LGBTQ+,
and seniors in underserved communities and in the language and
culture required. Q&A is a supplier for Project Health by CVS Health
and has delivered $127 million in free health care services to over
1.7 million Americans. Free biometric screenings include blood
pressure, cholesterol, glucose level and body mass index to detect
early risks of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and
heart disease. The screenings now also offer PHQ-2 assessments
and pre-screenings to help identify people who require additional
evaluation for depression.
Project Health by CVS Health has been instrumental in bringing
healthcare to communities of color that are historically underserved
and to the senior and homeless populations. In 2022, Q&A began a
Project Health by CVS Health mobile unit initiative in New England,
touring the state to visit social service agencies working with people
experiencing homelessness. As proof of the critical need to meet
the health care needs of the homeless population, in 2022, 50% of
the participants received an abnormal screening result and were
counseled on the next steps.
Mental health services were piloted in 2022, resulting in the
addition of mental health care services and resources for Black,
Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. It supported
the addition of 250 behavioral health clinicians in the free
clinic setting and mental health screenings, webinars, and a BIPOC
Mental Health Month Toolkit.
Carlos and Iker have been delivering Project Health by CVS
Health services for over 17 years, covering 21 states. The company
is a health generator but also an economic one. It hires locally,
trains locally, and serves locally in communities, leading to a highly
diverse workforce. The proof of the company’s success in engaging
the people most in need is found in the metrics. Iker explained,
“We track the actual abnormality rates to ensure we are serving the
people with the highest rates of abnormalities. If we are outpacing
the CDC national averages, we're actually getting to see people
with higher diabetes numbers, higher blood pressure numbers,
etc. We let people know their health issues and help them access
other services, including mental health resources, food banks, or
whatever is needed.” Project Health by CVS Health provides access
to health services based on the needs of the people served, which
varies from community to community.
Carlos Quilez elaborated. “We also measure success by talking
to customers after they complete a screening process and have a
better understanding of their health. Even though they may have
insurance and see a personal care physician, the doctor might not understand
understand
some cultural idiosyncrasies concerning diet and exercise.”
An example is when a patient is told to walk in the evenings to get
more exercise, but the person lives in a crime-ridden neighborhood
and must stay inside after 6 PM for safety reasons. Carlos calls what
his company delivers “concierge services” because Q&A goes to
affordable housing units, community centers, homeless shelters,
senior centers, food banks, and churches and offers advice about
diet and exercise through a cultural lens.
To date, Q&A has done over $160 million of health screening
services utterly free to communities. Lives are saved through
the screenings. For example, the screenings have caught people
with dangerously high blood pressure and also led to emergency
interventions for people at risk of an immediate heart attack or
having a stroke. Success is measured as global program metrics
and individual situations like these. Ultimately, Project Health by
CVS Health nudges people through multiple points of contact to
make behavioral changes and connect them with the appropriate
resources, like mental health or diabetes prevention or management
resources. “When we know one out of every five people returning
for a screening, we know the future impact on the healthcare system
is significant,” says Iker.
ADVICE FOR DIVERSE SUPPLIERS
Getting approval to be a CVS Health vendor required Q&A to
perform due diligence. There are many requirements to meet to
become a corporate supplier, like completing supplier portal information,
vendor risk assessment forms and compliance requirements.
Everything must be in perfect order before a corporation the size
of CVS Health will approve a vendor. Suppliers going through the
process the first time get discouraged and wonder if the investment
or time is worth it.
Iker says, “The beauty of successfully going through the vendor
qualification process is that other organizations know you've already
succeeded. It opens the door for you to qualify for another large organization.
Corporate decision-makers will see a diverse supplier was
able to jump through the hoops successfully and knows the supplier
will be able to get through their process as well.” A collaboration
with a company like CVS Health has value in many ways. Carlos
and Iker have watched people at CVS Health and Q&A grow their
careers, sometimes leading to new connections. A nurse working
at Q&A got a position in a hospital system, enabling Q&A to learn
more about the hospital system.
“Don’t undervalue the collaboration that you get with an organization
like CVS Health,” says Iker, “and what it means to your
company in terms of stability, doors that open to other organizations,
and potential projects with a current or potential customer.”
Successful suppliers that do an excellent job with a company from
registration to contract fulfillment are likely to be contacted first
about other RFPs that seem like a good fit, leading to new opportunities.
“The RFP process itself is very challenging,” says Carlos,
“but it is a learning opportunity that prepares you to do more RFPs
as they become available.”
Corporate customers with Supplier Diversity teams are not
using diverse suppliers to claim support for diversity. They are
making a genuine commitment. CVS Health, for example, invests
many resources in supplier diversity. The team proactively develops
diversity programs and other opportunities that diverse suppliers
are most qualified to support. The CVS Health team helps diverse
suppliers network, provides various resources, guides diverse
suppliers through the RFP and other processes and is always open
to communication. Carlos and Iker call this a win-win situation
because the supplier and the customer benefit.
Carlos and Iker also suggested that diverse suppliers develop
collaborations and leadership skills, including actively listening
to collaborators and clients to learn. It takes hard work to grow a
business, but as Carlos says, “The extra thing you need as a leader is
humility. You need the ability to listen to others speaking, and when
they talk, ask questions and act on what you hear. Hopefully, one
day, you will be able to anticipate what people need.” The people
staffing the Project Health by CVS Health programs learn from the
community and recognize that each community is different. This
leads to gaining insights that cannot be quantified but are valuable
for serving people.
SERVING MORE COMMUNITIES
ALL THE TIME
Project Health by CVS Health continues to broaden its services by
tapping into the CVS Health Pharmacy footprint and vast network
of local organizations to host mobile units and help ensure transportation
is not a barrier to receiving health services. Collaborations
across the country with different organizations hosting CVS Health
events and mobile units allow meeting community members wherever
they are best served. The CVS Health’ philanthropic program
funds Project Health by CVS Health, but one point Carlos makes
clear. The program is not about increasing CVS Health revenues
by promoting their pharmacies and products. The people screened
do not get advertisements or promotions, and Q&A does not share
data. Project Health by CVS Health is completely siloed and not
part of any other CVS Health business unit.
How does Quilez & Associates select where to hold Project
Health by CVS Health events? First, they look at demographic data
around the country and pinpoint the most diverse communities.
After identifying specific target areas, they contact city health agencies
and community organizations to ask where the most need is
and how the Project Health by CVS Health staff can best help meet
the needs. “Right now, food insecurity is a major issue in various
areas, so we go to food drives to provide assistance as a component
of health screenings,” explains Carolos.
Where people live is a significant factor in determining access to
healthcare and thus directly impacts people’s health. Researchers
have found that an individual’s zip code may have more influence
on their health than genetic makeup because of community-level
social and economic barriers to well-being. These factors include
a lack of access to nutritious food, poor air quality and unreliable
transportation to health centers. Organizations at the local level host
Project Health by CVS Health events, which are crucial to expanding
healthcare access for underserved populations. Many participants
have said it is the only time they seek medical services in a given
year, so closing the healthcare loop is incredibly important. That is
why anyone who screens positive for any physical or mental health
conditions has an on-site consult with a nurse practitioner and is
provided a directory of local healthcare providers.
Q&A is currently expanding its reach through the addition of
mobile units. The first mobile unit began operating in 2022, and now
there are eight mobile units. This gives Q&A the ability to deliver
services in urban and rural areas where the community members
prefer rather than relying only on fixed locations.
THE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING
COMMUNITY TRUST
The communities that Project Health by CVS Health serves do not
have a high level of trust in their healthcare system. “One of our
biggest challenges is gaining clients' trust through communication
and having a constant presence in communities,” says Iker. “They
must get to know our staff, see us return regularly, and recognize our
relationships with community organizers and leaders who vouch that
Project Health by CVS Health is a legitimate, long-standing program
providing needed services.” Utilizing people from the community to
work for Project Health by CVS Health creates essential connections
that help build trust in what the program offers.
The other primary challenge is the logistics and scheduling of
program events. Q&A must work with multiple health departments,
state organizations, community organizers, and others. Each market
is different.
Trust is also built through results. Success is when somebody
participates in the program and says something like, “I didn’t know
that medication adherence was that important. I always thought
that once my blood pressure was stabilized that I could get off the
medication,” or “I did not know that a simple 30-minute walk five
times a week was so important to cardiovascular health.” Success
is also seen in growing attendance resulting from people telling
friends, neighbors and family about the program.
CLOSING THE HEALTHCARE SERVICES GAP
Carlos and Iker attended a symposium where they met various diverse
suppliers. “We quickly realized,” said Iker, “that the minority
business people got there by merit. They are all extremely capable.
When corporations open the door to diverse suppliers, they get new
perspectives on the same problems.”
Committing to social justice and equity is only a start because it
takes action to make them a reality. CVS Health acts daily through
Supplier Diversity and Project Health by CVS Health programs and
produces measurable results. Their efforts improve the quality of
life for millions of people and enable thousands of diverse and small
business suppliers to achieve sustainable growth. CVS Health has
taken a leadership position in leveraging the organization’s resources
to bring change to the healthcare system. Looking ahead, it is
exciting to imagine what the company will accomplish as it strives
to meet and exceed the Healthy 2030 goals. It is equally exciting
that minority-owned suppliers like Quilez & Associates are at the
heart of the accomplishments.