Welvista Announces $190,000 Congressional Grant Sponsored by Senator Lindsey Graham
March 20, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – March 20, 2009 –Welvista is pleased to announce the inclusion of a $190,000 federal grant for pharmacy automation in the Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus appropriations legislation, signed into law by President Obama on March 11, 2009. The grant was sponsored by Senator Lindsey Graham on behalf of Welvista (formerly Communicare). The funds will be used to continue a third phase of pharmacy automation that will enable Welvista to serve its growing patient base in South Carolina. Welvista provides prescription medications at no cost to uninsured residents in South Carolina whose income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and have no insurance coverage available through their jobs or other federal programs.
“On behalf of the nearly 15,000 Welvista patients across the state of South Carolina, I would like to thank Senator Graham for his vision and work on our behalf. The funds he has secured will directly benefit the uninsured in our state and enable workers with treatable chronic conditions to stay in their jobs during these difficult times. It will also assist us in serving the growing number of unemployed, uninsured South Carolinians,” said Ken Trogdon, Chief Executive Officer of Welvista.
With South Carolina’s unemployment rate reaching 10.4% in January, the federal funding comes at a time when patient assistance requests are significantly higher than at any time in Welvista’s history. “The need for our services has increased dramatically just in the past few months while financial support for operations has declined due to the current economic environment. This funding could not come at a better time to ensure that we are able to meet the current patient demand,” noted Ken Trogdon.
Welvista, a non-profit corporation, is an innovative model of non-governmental healthcare intervention serving thousands of patients in South Carolina. Welvista provides prescription medications at no cost to uninsured residents in South Carolina whose incomes are at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, are under age 65, do not qualify for Medicaid, Medicare or VA insurance, and cannot otherwise afford to pay for insurance coverage on their own.
Partnering with 12 pharmaceutical companies who donate prescription medications, Welvista operates the largest mail-order pharmacy for the uninsured in the U.S. In 2008, the William E. Murray pharmacy, located at Welvista’s headquarters off Forest Drive in Columbia, dispensed more than 108,000 prescription medications valued at over $34 million to treat chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension, mental illness, and more. “We are committed to improving health and wellness for the uninsured. Our model has proven its viability and we will continue to serve the needs of our patients,” says Welvista CEO Ken Trogdon.
About Welvista
To learn more about the organization, visit www.welvista.org.
