Author: sHq_LoGiNz
At AMD, inspiring the next generation of innovators starts with creating opportunities for students to see themselves in STEM and AI careers. By connecting young learners with hands-on experiences and employees who can share their own career journeys, AMD helps make pathways into technology more visible, approachable and achievable.
That commitment came to life recently when AMD welcomed more than 60 students from Breakthrough Central Texas to its Austin campus for a day of learning, discovery and hands-on STEM and AI exploration. Breakthrough Central Texas is a college access nonprofit that supports first-generation and underrepresented students from sixth grade through college. Now in its fourth year, the event brought together nearly 30 AMD employee volunteers who shared their time, experiences and expertise to help students explore technology careers and apply engineering concepts in a creative, collaborative setting.
Students also heard from AMD employees, including a Breakthrough alum, who shared personal reflections on their education and career journeys, lessons learned along the way and encouragement for students as they begin imagining their own futures.
The highlight of the day was a solar-powered car challenge, where students worked side by side with AMD volunteers to build, test and race their vehicles. The activity encouraged students to think critically, collaborate with teammates and troubleshoot design decisions in real time, while learning fundamental engineering concepts through a fun and accessible experience.
“I think it’s important for AMD to invest in the future through opportunities like STEM education because it gets kids thinking about what they want to do with their future, whether they want to go to college, what they want to study and ultimately what kind of career they want to pursue,” said Roy Woody Jr., Associate Test Engineer at AMD.
By connecting students with AMD employees and engaging STEM and AI experiences, the event helped make technology careers feel more tangible and accessible. Through relationships with organizations like Breakthrough Central Texas, AMD continues to support opportunities that help students explore new possibilities, build confidence, and imagine where their education can take them.
Learn more about AMD STEM and AI initiatives at www.amd.com/en/corporate/corporate-responsibility/digital-impact.html.
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NEW YORK and CHOCÓ, Colombia, August 14, 2026 /3BL/ – Action Against Hunger has stepped up its humanitarian response in the Colombian department of Chocó following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake recorded on 10 August, the strongest to hit the country in the past decade. As assessments of the extent of the damage continue, the organization is focusing its efforts on reaching rural and hard-to-reach communities, where thousands of families have been affected and severe damage to homes, infrastructure and basic services persists.
In Chocó, some of the main response gaps are concentrated in rural and scattered areas, where access difficulties, damage to roads and bridges, landslides, and power and communications outages are hampering the delivery of aid and the assessment of humanitarian needs. In the municipality of San José del Palmar alone, more than 29 landslides linked to the earthquake have been recorded.
“Our teams are already deployed to provide humanitarian assistance in the affected municipalities through the distribution of essential supplies. From our office in Chocó, we have taken part, from the very first moment of the emergency, in coordination spaces with institutions, authorities and community organizations,” explains Mario Dager, Action Against Hunger humanitarian worker in Colombia.
Assistance in Rural Communities
The organization has already begun assisting affected families in several municipalities. In El Tabor, a rural community in Tadó, it has distributed kits to ensure access to safe water, including filtration and treatment systems, hoses, storage tanks and other essential items.
In Nóvita, the organization has deployed a humanitarian team to assist affected families, particularly those from rural areas. As there is no collective shelter operating in the municipality, many families remain temporarily housed with relatives or in community support networks. There, Action Against Hunger has distributed shelter kits, family hygiene kits, menstrual hygiene kits, baby kits and food kits, in coordination with local authorities and risk management bodies.
In Quibdó, the organization is supporting people housed at the Municipal Coliseum, where it has delivered family shelter kits to cover the basic needs of the 104 people temporarily sheltering there. It is also working with local foundations and authorities to identify priority households and facilitate affected families’ access to official assistance mechanisms.
Reaching Isolated Communities
Over the coming days, Action Against Hunger will continue expanding its monitoring of the situation and identifying needs in municipalities with less visible impacts, including Sipí, Medio Baudó, Lloró and Medio San Juan, in addition to continuing the work already under way in Nóvita and Tadó.
“Our main challenge now is reaching the rural communities that remain isolated and where we are still completing assessments. In many places it is not possible to know the real extent of the damage until teams manage to physically access them. That is why we are combining immediate assistance with ongoing needs identification work, to make sure no one is left out of the response,” explains Mario Dager, Action Against Hunger humanitarian worker in Colombia.
Immediate priorities: safe water, shelter, food and health
The first assessments carried out by Action Against Hunger and humanitarian coordination bodies identify safe shelter, drinking water, food, sanitation and hygiene as immediate priorities. There is also growing concern over the increasing pressure on the health network, which requires medicines, medical supplies and specific assessments of rural health facilities.
On water and sanitation, authorities have requested support to rehabilitate water supply systems in several affected municipalities, as well as the supply of materials for water purification, storage and safe access. Local authorities have also flagged an urgent need for materials to rehabilitate damaged homes and infrastructure.
In addition, some affected families remain temporarily housed in the homes of relatives or community support networks, which increases the need to distribute shelter kits and cash assistance to help cover extraordinary expenses arising from the emergency.
A response that will need to be sustained over time
“In the coming weeks, it will be essential to move from emergency response towards early recovery. Rehabilitating water systems, repairing homes and restoring livelihoods will be decisive in enabling families to rebuild their lives,” says Noelia Monge, Head of the Emergency Team at Action Against Hunger.
Action Against Hunger will continue providing assistance, assessing needs and coordinating its intervention with authorities, community organizations and the rest of the humanitarian actors. The response will keep adapting and expanding as teams are able to access new communities and as the main unmet needs are confirmed.
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Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 26.5 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,500+ dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.
Originally published on CVS Health Company Newsroom
WOONSOCKET, R.I., August 14, 2026 /3BL/ – CVS Caremark, part of CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS), announced the findings of a survey conducted in partnership with Employee Benefit News that reveals why employers are increasingly relying on their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) partners to use their expertise, scale and purchasing power to help them manage their top concern: battling rising drug prices and maintaining access to quality care.
This year’s The State of Pharmacy Management Survey findings show HR decision makers and executive leaders are focused on navigating the rising price of prescription drugs, managing access to expensive treatments such as GLP-1s, and encouraging the use of more cost-effective biosimilars.
Key Findings
- 91% of employers are concerned about the high prices of medication for employees
- 88% of employers see PBMs as especially well positioned to reduce prescription drug costs for their businesses
- 64% say PBMs have the greatest opportunity to improve access to affordable specialty medications
“This data reveals the urgency behind employers’ need for PBM partners who can address cost, first and foremost,” said Ed DeVaney, President, CVS Caremark. “There’s a clear opportunity to help employers navigate the evolving pharmacy benefits landscape while driving sustainable benefits for clients and members.”
Opportunity for employers to encourage greater use of biosimilars
The survey findings also illustrate that biosimilars represent one of the largest untapped opportunities for employers to reduce drug costs in the U.S. health care market, offering clinically equivalent therapies to improve affordability and enhance access without compromising safety or efficacy.
Today, only about half of employers (49%) are encouraging biosimilar substitution while another 40% are actively considering or exploring it. With just 12% of employers reporting that they are educating employees about the cost savings potential, this study illustrates a significant opportunity for employers to do more to both create better awareness and understanding of the benefits of biosimilars and help their members access them.
CVS Caremark has been an industry leader in promoting biosimilar adoption. Since April 2024, biosimilar formulary strategy has helped CVS Caremark clients and members realize more than $3.3 billion in gross savings related to Humira® (adalimumab), and the company is committed to expanding the use of low-cost biosimilars across multiple therapeutic categories.
On July 1, 2026, CVS Caremark transitioned from Stelara® (ustekinumab) on its most common commercial template formularies to prefer lower-cost, interchangeable biosimilar alternatives — Pyzchiva® and Yesintek®. Most members will pay $0 out-of-pocket for their therapy.
Employers are planning for emerging areas of pharmacy spend, including GLP-1 weight management
Weight management has moved into the benefits mainstream, becoming a core component of modern benefits strategy. Seventy-seven percent of employers say the high cost of GLP-1 coverage is a concern — with 80% having either already limited GLP-1 coverage for weight loss or considering limits.
CVS Caremark is focused on improving affordability and access to GLP-1s by increasing access to GLP-1 weight management medications this year with expanded coverage options. In addition to negotiating lower prices with drug manufacturers, CVS Caremark works with clients to leverage the right GLP-1 management strategies for each employee population, including utilization management, personalized clinical and nutrition support and more.
The lifestyle-first approach of the CVS Weight Management™ program has driven sustainable weight loss results for members and cost savings for plan sponsors. Clients who adopted the program spent up to 26% less on GLP-1 medications for weight-loss compared to those who did not, and members who were previously on anti-obesity medication nearly doubled their pre-program weight loss while working with program clinicians on diet and lifestyle.
Digital innovation is central to pharmacy benefits
As AI and digital enablement continue to transform the health care experience, employers are looking for pharmacy benefits partners who can leverage digital tools to make support more accessible, personalized and navigable for plan members, with 88% saying that digital tools and innovation as part of the health care experience are “here to stay.”
CVS Caremark invests over $770 million in technology each year dedicated to member innovation, combining human touch with streamlined digital processes so members can receive the treatment they need quickly. As a founding partner of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), CVS Caremark is also helping lead the way in safe and ethical use of AI in health care, all in support of improved health outcomes and a streamlined experience for members, clients and providers.
Employers see pharmacy benefit costs as harder to control than other benefits
Only 30% of employers said they have significant influence over pharmacy costs, compared to 73% who said they have significant influence over the overall cost of maintaining a competitive benefits package. At the same time, employers are looking for PBMs to help manage pharmacy spending while maintaining access to affordable treatment options. Of those surveyed, 91% say they are very concerned about high medication costs for employees.
CVS Caremark helps employers control drug costs and make medications more accessible by working with drug manufacturers to negotiate affordable drug prices for clients and members. Through the industry-leading pricing model, TrueCost™, CVS Caremark allows clients to see true drug costs through acquisition-cost-based pricing and drug-level rebate values, enabling more pricing transparency, predictability and sustainability for plan administrators and members and improving affordability for high-quality treatment.
View The State of Pharmacy Management report.
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About CVS Health
CVS Health is a leading health solutions company simplifying health care one person, one family and one community at a time. As of June 30, 2026, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 87 million plan members. The Company also serves an estimated 37 million people through a broad range of health insurance products and related services. The Company’s integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs.
Media contact
Phil Blando
202-258-4978
Phillip.Blando@CVSHealth.com
As part of its ongoing commitment to advancing inclusion and youth participation in sports, AEG‘s LA Kings hosted its annual LA Kings Girls Camp, providing young female athletes with access to elite coaching, mentorship and development opportunities designed to help grow the next generation of hockey players and leaders.
Held July 27-31 at Toyota Sports Performance Center, the five-day program welcomed girls ages 5 to 12 for a comprehensive experience focused on athletic development, confidence building and personal growth. The camp was led by a lineup of high-profile coaches, including LA Kings Community & Hockey Development Specialist Blake Bolden; Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) players Marah Wagner and Dominique Petrie; PWHL Las Vegas General Manager Domi DiDia; and LA Kings alumnus Jordan Nolan and Daryl Evans. The camp reflects the LA Kings’ broader commitment to expanding access to hockey and creating pathways that make the sport more accessible and inclusive for girls and young women.
Through daily on-ice instruction, dryland training, classroom sessions and individualized skill development, participants strengthened their hockey fundamentals while learning valuable lessons in teamwork, resilience, leadership and goal setting. The program was designed not only to develop players on the ice, but also to empower young athletes with skills and confidence that extend beyond sports.
A cornerstone of the camp was the opportunity for participants to engage directly with players and executives from the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Through interactive discussions and mentorship sessions, campers gained firsthand insight into the opportunities available for women across all areas of the sport, including professional competition, coaching, leadership and business operations. These interactions provided tangible examples of what is possible for girls pursuing their ambitions both within hockey and beyond.
Participants also spent time with LA Kings alumni, whose personal experiences offered inspiration and guidance while reinforcing the importance of perseverance, commitment and lifelong learning. By connecting young athletes with positive role models from across the hockey community, the program helped foster a sense of belonging and possibility for participants at a formative stage in their development.
Beyond athletic training, the camp created a supportive environment where girls could build friendships, strengthen self-confidence and develop a deeper connection to the game. By combining skill development with mentorship, representation and educational programming, the initiative helps remove barriers to participation while encouraging more girls to see themselves reflected in the future of hockey.
The LA Kings Girls Camp is part of the organization’s broader efforts to grow the game by expanding access, increasing participation and creating more inclusive opportunities for youth. Through programs like this, the LA Kings continue to leverage the power of sport to inspire confidence, develop future leaders and help ensure that more girls have the opportunity to participate, thrive and succeed both on and off the ice.
With more than 90,000 people in the U.S. on the national transplant waitlist, the demand for life-saving organs far outpaces the supply. Living donation offers a strong pathway to addressing this public health challenge, and supporting a larger potential donor pool requires providing clarity on perceived barriers in the process.
Angela Laino, a DaVita social worker who guides patients through their transplant journeys, recently became a non-directed living donor. In non-directed donation, sometimes called altruistic donation, someone chooses to donate their kidney without having an intended recipient. Laino’s selfless decision initiated a transplant chain that saved three lives. Her firsthand experience highlights the profound impact of living donation and the need to remove structural barriers for future donors.
Below, Angela addresses five common myths and the systemic shifts necessary to strengthen the living donor pipeline.
Myth 1: Donors must be a perfect biological match.
The Reality: A donor does not need to be related to the recipient or have an exact blood type match. Advanced algorithms and paired kidney exchange programs can connect multiple incompatible donor-recipient pairs. MedSleuth, a transplant transformation company, is partnered with the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD) to offer KidneyMatchgrid. This leading paired exchange offering leverages match optimization to facilitate matches within a single center, across cities — and even throughout the U.S.
Insight: Turning a biological “no” into a logistical “yes” maximizes every willing donor’s impact. Policies supporting cross-center paired exchanges can exponentially increase successful transplants.
Angela’s Perspective:
“People are sometimes surprised I didn’t donate to a loved one, but as a social worker, I’ve seen how transplant provides the best quality of life for our patients. When I found out my single donation could start a chain and help three people, it was incredible. It’s thrilling to know one act can have such a ripple effect.”
Myth 2: Living donation creates a massive financial burden.
The Reality: The donor recipient’s insurance covers medical costs.
Insight: No donor should face financial hardship. Programs like MedSleuth and APKD’s DonorProtect help remove financial barriers. Through DonorProtect, living donors can receive reimbursement for lost wages, travel, dependent care and even pet care.
Angela’s Perspective:
“The hospital covered all my medical testing. And I received financial support covering my travel, gas and hotel — I haven’t spent a single penny out of pocket.1 They even cover childcare and meals, as well as expenses like pet boarding and meals or lodging for a caregiver. They think of everything and work to help remove financial barriers donors may face.”
Myth 3: Donors risk losing their jobs or income.
The Reality: While the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects your job, it doesn’t guarantee paid leave. However, specialized grants and progressive employer benefits can bridge this gap.
Insight: Leading healthcare employers like DaVita offer specialized paid time off (PTO) for living donors — fostering confidence for someone considering living donation. For most people, even when someone is self-employed, there are resources for wage reimbursement during testing, surgery and recovery, such as the National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) and APKD’s DonorProtect.
Angela’s Perspective:
“I’m so grateful DaVita offers a specific living donor benefit that provides up to four weeks of paid leave. [Because I received four weeks,] I didn’t have to use my regular PTO, which took the stress away and allowed me to focus entirely on healing.”
Myth 4: Donation diminishes long-term health and life expectancy.
The Reality: Kidney donation is a safe, routine surgery with a low complication rate and no long-term adverse health effects.
Insight: Misinformation restricts the donor pipeline, but education campaigns can help elevate clinical facts and normalize living donation.
Angela’s Perspective:
“The evaluation is the absolute best physical you will ever get. The transplant center won’t let you donate if it puts you at risk. Now, I want to show people what you can do with one kidney! I’m back to working out and joined a group for athletes who are kidney donors. I use my experience to show others that someone can donate and go back to living life to the fullest. I was cleared to go back to the gym six weeks after surgery — and I have felt great!”
Myth 5: Donors are left unprotected if their remaining kidney fails.
The Reality: If a living donor ever requires a kidney transplant later in life, they are granted priority status on the national waitlist.
Insight: MedSleuth and APKD’s Kidney Pledge extends priority status for donors to help protect their family members and loved ones if they need a kidney transplant in the future. This safety net can help prospective donors trust that the system will help protect them.
Angela’s Perspective:
“The chances of needing a kidney are very low, but if I ever did, I know I’d go straight to the top of the list. And because I donated with Medsleuth and APKD, I received their FamilyPledge, so if my immediate family members ever need a kidney, they are covered too. Knowing my donation could potentially protect my future grandchildren sold me on the idea.”
|
Transplant Transformation: MedSleuth & the APKD MedSleuth, a DaVita company, is helping transform the transplant experience by driving transparency, automation and improved experience. MedSleuth and the APKD offer living donor intake and a sophisticated, Nobel Prize-winning algorithm to facilitate paired donation with concierge-level support for the living donation process. Learn more: Medsleuth.com/KidneyMatchgrid |
1 Angela received financial support through the National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC), which reimburses expenses associated with living donation up to $6,000. For living donors whose expenses exceed the max coverage through the NLDAC, programs like DonorProtect through the APKD and MedSleuth can offer additional support to reduce or remove financial barriers to donation.
With more than 90,000 people in the U.S. on the national transplant waitlist, the demand for life-saving organs far outpaces the supply. Living donation offers a strong pathway to addressing this public health challenge, and supporting a larger potential donor pool requires providing clarity on perceived barriers in the process.
Angela Laino, a DaVita social worker who guides patients through their transplant journeys, recently became a non-directed living donor. In non-directed donation, sometimes called altruistic donation, someone chooses to donate their kidney without having an intended recipient. Laino’s selfless decision initiated a transplant chain that saved three lives. Her firsthand experience highlights the profound impact of living donation and the need to remove structural barriers for future donors.
Below, Angela addresses five common myths and the systemic shifts necessary to strengthen the living donor pipeline.
Myth 1: Donors must be a perfect biological match.
The Reality: A donor does not need to be related to the recipient or have an exact blood type match. Advanced algorithms and paired kidney exchange programs can connect multiple incompatible donor-recipient pairs. MedSleuth, a transplant transformation company, is partnered with the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD) to offer KidneyMatchgrid. This leading paired exchange offering leverages match optimization to facilitate matches within a single center, across cities — and even throughout the U.S.
Insight: Turning a biological “no” into a logistical “yes” maximizes every willing donor’s impact. Policies supporting cross-center paired exchanges can exponentially increase successful transplants.
Angela’s Perspective:
“People are sometimes surprised I didn’t donate to a loved one, but as a social worker, I’ve seen how transplant provides the best quality of life for our patients. When I found out my single donation could start a chain and help three people, it was incredible. It’s thrilling to know one act can have such a ripple effect.”
Myth 2: Living donation creates a massive financial burden.
The Reality: The donor recipient’s insurance covers medical costs.
Insight: No donor should face financial hardship. Programs like MedSleuth and APKD’s DonorProtect help remove financial barriers. Through DonorProtect, living donors can receive reimbursement for lost wages, travel, dependent care and even pet care.
Angela’s Perspective:
“The hospital covered all my medical testing. And I received financial support covering my travel, gas and hotel — I haven’t spent a single penny out of pocket.1 They even cover childcare and meals, as well as expenses like pet boarding and meals or lodging for a caregiver. They think of everything and work to help remove financial barriers donors may face.”
Myth 3: Donors risk losing their jobs or income.
The Reality: While the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects your job, it doesn’t guarantee paid leave. However, specialized grants and progressive employer benefits can bridge this gap.
Insight: Leading healthcare employers like DaVita offer specialized paid time off (PTO) for living donors — fostering confidence for someone considering living donation. For most people, even when someone is self-employed, there are resources for wage reimbursement during testing, surgery and recovery, such as the National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) and APKD’s DonorProtect.
Angela’s Perspective:
“I’m so grateful DaVita offers a specific living donor benefit that provides up to four weeks of paid leave. [Because I received four weeks,] I didn’t have to use my regular PTO, which took the stress away and allowed me to focus entirely on healing.”
Myth 4: Donation diminishes long-term health and life expectancy.
The Reality: Kidney donation is a safe, routine surgery with a low complication rate and no long-term adverse health effects.
Insight: Misinformation restricts the donor pipeline, but education campaigns can help elevate clinical facts and normalize living donation.
Angela’s Perspective:
“The evaluation is the absolute best physical you will ever get. The transplant center won’t let you donate if it puts you at risk. Now, I want to show people what you can do with one kidney! I’m back to working out and joined a group for athletes who are kidney donors. I use my experience to show others that someone can donate and go back to living life to the fullest. I was cleared to go back to the gym six weeks after surgery — and I have felt great!”
Myth 5: Donors are left unprotected if their remaining kidney fails.
The Reality: If a living donor ever requires a kidney transplant later in life, they are granted priority status on the national waitlist.
Insight: MedSleuth and APKD’s Kidney Pledge extends priority status for donors to help protect their family members and loved ones if they need a kidney transplant in the future. This safety net can help prospective donors trust that the system will help protect them.
Angela’s Perspective:
“The chances of needing a kidney are very low, but if I ever did, I know I’d go straight to the top of the list. And because I donated with Medsleuth and APKD, I received their FamilyPledge, so if my immediate family members ever need a kidney, they are covered too. Knowing my donation could potentially protect my future grandchildren sold me on the idea.”
|
Transplant Transformation: MedSleuth & the APKD MedSleuth, a DaVita company, is helping transform the transplant experience by driving transparency, automation and improved experience. MedSleuth and the APKD offer living donor intake and a sophisticated, Nobel Prize-winning algorithm to facilitate paired donation with concierge-level support for the living donation process. Learn more: Medsleuth.com/KidneyMatchgrid |
1 Angela received financial support through the National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC), which reimburses expenses associated with living donation up to $6,000. For living donors whose expenses exceed the max coverage through the NLDAC, programs like DonorProtect through the APKD and MedSleuth can offer additional support to reduce or remove financial barriers to donation.