As a front door to health care in 10,000 communities nationwide, CVS Health is committed to creating the path to better health and a better world. In the first half of 2019, our leaders participated in public forums to discuss how that commitment is coming to fruition to build healthier communities and improve the consumer health experience:
Larry Merlo, President and Chief Executive Officer of CVS Health, addressed the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. in January to discuss the potential of improving health at the local level through targeted engagement and human interactions. During his address, Merlo announced the company’s new Building Healthier Communities initiative, a five-year, $100 million commitment to improve health at the local level. This initiative provides expanded access to free health screenings, more funding to tackle public health challenges, including tobacco and opioid use and additional investments to address social and environmental factors.
Tom Moriarty, Chief Policy and External Affairs Officer, and General Counsel of CVS Health, participated in a POLITICO Health Care Innovators event in January to discuss how CVS Health is helping patients with chronic conditions manage their care. In the case of diabetes, Moriarty highlighted how the CVS Health and Aetna combination is uniquely able to address avoidable costs by providing patients with access to the right care locally. According to Moriarty, “We will have the ability to determine who is at risk of developing diabetes and provide them preventative counseling and services.”
Karen Lynch, Executive Vice President of CVS Health and President of the Aetna Business Unit, authored an op-ed for U.S. News & World Report in March to discuss the importance of providing communities with the support and flexibility they need to create local solutions that have the power to affect real change and improve public health. Here she outlines the priorities of the second annual U.S. News & World Report Healthiest Communities rankings, underwritten by the Aetna Foundation. This initiative is part of our broader effort to improve community health outcomes – providing insights that inform residents, health care leaders and elected officials about policies and best practices.
For more information about CVS Health’s efforts to improve access to quality care across the nation, visit our Quality & Access information center and the CVS Health Impact Dashboard. To stay informed about the latest updates and innovations from CVS Health, register for content alerts and our bi-weekly health care newsletter.