The USC Mann School has received a $300,000 grant from the Centene Foundation and Health Net to support its recently launched USC Pharmacy and Wellness Center, expanding access to care and community-based services in one of Los Angeles’ most underserved regions.
The grant will support a range of services for the surrounding community. Key initiatives include preventive services such as health screenings, patient education, immunizations, tobacco cessation and naloxone distribution.
“We’re grateful to the Centene Foundation and Health Net for their generous support and partnership, which helps us bring the USC Pharmacy and Wellness Center to life as a community-centered model of care,” said Vassilios Papadopoulos, dean of the USC Mann School. “This is just the beginning of what we believe will be a meaningful and lasting collaboration.”
The funding, which includes $275,000 from the Centene Foundation and an additional $25,000 from Health Net, will support early implementation of the USC Pharmacy and Wellness Center, opened Monday, April 13, 2026.
“At Health Net, we know health starts with access, trust, and support that reflects the realities of daily life,” said Dorothy Seleski, Medi-Cal President at Health Net. “The USC Pharmacy and Wellness Center brings care closer to the community—connecting people to preventive services, chronic disease support, and trusted local resources. This is what whole-person care looks like in action: meeting people where they are and making it easier to stay healthy.”
The funds will also support free community health worker certification for staff across South Los Angeles community pharmacies and strengthen chronic disease management programs through the California Right Meds Collaborative. In addition, a community partnership microgrant program will provide funding to five local organizations delivering health education aligned with the community’s most pressing needs, including maternal and reproductive health, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
“The Centene Foundation and Health Net are national leaders in ensuring high-quality care is available to vulnerable communities,” said Steven Chen, associate dean for clinical affairs and the William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy at USC Mann. “We are grateful their support of our vision for the USC Pharmacy and Wellness Center as a trusted hub for health and social services in South Los Angeles.”
Located at the intersection of Slauson and Crenshaw, the USC Pharmacy and Wellness Center is designed as a high-access, community-centered health destination. In addition to the pharmacy, the space includes a retail area selling health and personal care items, health consultation rooms and a community room for health education programming and outreach events. A clinic run by T.H.E. (To Help Everyone) Health and Wellness Centers will open in the coming months.
“The USC Pharmacy and Wellness Center represents a new model for how pharmacy can serve as a front door to the healthcare system—one that is accessible, integrated and deeply rooted in the community,” said Raffi Svadjian, assistant professor of clinical pharmacy and executive director of community pharmacies at USC Mann.