Federal Grant Award Summary

Weill Medical College of Cornell University received a $129,096 Project Grant award from the National Institute on Aging under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866), effective March 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030. This award supports research training and investigation into the implications of retailer-owned primary care clinics for access to and quality of care among older adults (age 65+). The project examines major pharmacy chains' and retailers' substantial corporate investments in primary care—including Walgreens' $6+ billion investment in VillageMD, CVS's $10.6 billion acquisition of Oak Street Health, Walmart's 51 health centers, and Amazon's $3.9 billion acquisition of One Medical—and their potential impact on healthcare delivery for seniors.

Under this award, Dr. Kakani will complete a structured training program encompassing formal coursework, workshops, and clinical shadowing under a multidisciplinary mentorship team of National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded investigators. The training plan is designed to develop expertise in primary care delivery for older adults, medication management of chronic disease, qualitative and mixed-methods research, and advanced statistical methods for causal inference. The researcher will apply knowledge gained through these training activities to conduct comprehensive analysis of how retailer-owned primary care clinics affect patient access, healthcare quality, and outcomes for the Medicare-eligible population.