Lackey Free Clinic will benefit from a nationwide grant aimed to support community health and expand access to care.
The $35,000 award is part of a new initiative by CVS and its private foundation Caremark Charitable Trust, a partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers. The clinic in Yorktown was one of five Virginia institutions to receive almost $170,000 in grants.
This is the first time that Lackey Free Clinic has received an award from CVS, which will support a program focused on diabetes management and education.
Executive director Carol Sale expressed gratitude to be among a small number chosen for the grant.
“So much of our work is managing chronic illness and this is giving us an opportunity to back up the train a little bit and work on the prevention side,” she said.
The money will be used to offset the cost of a health and fitness coach who will work with some of Lackey’s patients. The coach, Caroline Fornshell, did some of her graduate research through the clinic before co-founding the LWell weight loss and wellness program in Yorktown.
In addition to Fornshell’s guidance, the grant will support a diabetes nurse educator who will work with the life coach to develop an individual plan from a medical perspective.
“This ties really well in with the funding we are receiving from the Williamsburg Health Foundation, so it was nice match for us to bring different funders together into this program,” Sale said. She said the foundation is a strong supporter of the clinic and its work.
In the last eight months, Lackey Free Clinic has had 8,292 patient visits for medical and dental care. For more information, visit their website.
