CVS Health Learning Hub: Investing in Colleagues and the Future of Healthcare
CVS Health recognizes its workforce of over 300,000 dedicated colleagues as its greatest strength, essential for delivering high-quality care and driving innovation in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Built on a foundation of trust, integrity, and a shared commitment to improving healthcare for all Americans, CVS Health prioritizes the health, well-being, growth, and success of its employees. This commitment is demonstrated through comprehensive benefits, continuous learning opportunities, and a focus on creating a safe, inclusive, and rewarding work environment.
Comprehensive Benefits and Well-being Programs
CVS Health invests significantly in its colleagues' physical, emotional, and financial wellness through a range of award-winning benefits programs. These programs are designed to meet the diverse needs of employees at every stage of their lives. Colleagues have access to convenient points of care through CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations, digital tools, and virtual care solutions.
In 2024, CVS Health enhanced its benefits offerings to further support the mental well-being of its colleagues. A key improvement was doubling the number of no-cost confidential counseling sessions available, from 10 to 20. Efforts were also made to increase utilization of the employee assistance program, Resources for Living, resulting in a 20% increase in overall usage, with face-to-face counseling services increasing by 39% and telehealth counseling by 7%.
CVS Health empowers its colleagues to prioritize their mental well-being, whether through counseling sessions, mindfulness practices, or sharing personal stories. This focus on well-being contributes to higher job satisfaction, a shared sense of purpose, and a workplace where colleagues feel valued, safe, and included.
Cultivating a Culture of Safety and Inclusion
CVS Health is committed to maintaining safe workplace conditions and continuously improving the performance of its health, safety, and environment programs. The occupational health and safety (OHS) program applies to all operations, including employees, clients, contractors, suppliers, and visitors. The enterprise security organization enhances the safety of all CVS Health colleagues through a risk-based approach focused on mitigating threats.
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To promote a strong safety culture across its front store and pharmacy operations, CVS Health implements foundational safety-focused trainings, direct colleague messaging, a Just Culture framework, monthly safety tips, and quarterly newsletters. Recognizing the potential for needlestick injuries among CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic colleagues, CVS Health has examined how these incidents occur and identified measures to prevent them. In 2024, a new sharps container with improved safety features that allows for one-handed disposal was piloted.
Safety is a critical pillar of the supply chain and logistics program for operational excellence. CVS Health encourages a culture where safety concerns can be identified before an injury occurs and takes a proactive approach to identifying and analyzing near-miss incidents. In 2024, a plan to prevent heat injury and illness for colleagues was introduced, including response procedures for indoor and outdoor workspaces, monitoring of high heat events, and proactive education on heat illness prevention.
CVS Health cultivates a thriving culture where every individual, regardless of background or experience, feels valued, empowered, and inspired to contribute their unique perspectives. The company respects each other’s similarities and differences, recognizing that diverse experiences and perspectives strengthen the community, culture, and workforce. Colleague Resource Groups (CRGs) are voluntary, colleague-led organizations that represent a wide range of professional, cultural, religious affinities, and interests. In 2024, CVS Health deepened its engagement with Disability:IN, a leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion. CVS Health also recognizes the invaluable skills and experience that veterans and transitioning service members bring to the organization. Since 2016, CVS Health has hired 26,000 veterans and 19,000 military spouses.
Investing in Training, Learning, and Development
CVS Health provides training, learning, and development opportunities for over 100,000 colleagues each year, including over 100 role-specific training curricula. The company hires more than 30,000 new pharmacy technicians annually, who collectively fill approximately 2 billion patient prescriptions across more than 9,000 CVS Pharmacy locations. A redesigned pharmacy technician training program, launched, supports new hires with training that prepares them to be successful in their role and provide a consistent patient experience. A redesigned training curriculum for new front store colleagues provides them with the knowledge and skills to manage and operate the front store of CVS Pharmacy locations.
Leadership Development and Career Growth
CVS Health's leadership development programs focus on accelerating the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to be a successful leader within the organization. Rotational opportunities are designed to support the career growth of recent graduates through meaningful assignments, on-the-job experience, mentorship, and networking opportunities, and exposure to multiple departments and business units. The university relations team supports more than 10,000 students each year in internships, externships, and student mentor programs across company operations. The career mentorship program aims to provide CVS Health colleagues with opportunities to enhance their skills, receive advice from senior leadership, and grow their professional networks. In 2024, 75% of mentees felt their in-role performance had improved as a result of their mentor relationship, and 80% of mentors felt their leadership and coaching skills had improved.
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In 2024, CVS Health piloted a neurodiversity hiring experience within its digital, data, analytics, and technology organization, using a skill-based, altered interview that allows qualified candidates who identify as neurodiverse to demonstrate their unique skills. The goal of the program is to have an equitable and accessible hiring experience where neurodiversity inclusion is a key component of the hiring process.
CVS Health supports colleagues in continuing their education and pursuing job-related degree and non-degree programs, or high school diplomas. The Tuition Assistance Program offers tools and reimbursements to support colleagues in reaching their educational goals. To support the next generation of students with the financial assistance and hands-on experience necessary to further their careers, in 2024 CVS Health introduced an enhanced PharmD tuition assistance program for eligible CVS Pharmacy® interns. More than 400 PharmD graduates who were interning with CVS Pharmacy as of April 2024 applied for up to $20,000 toward their final year of tuition. The program was later expanded to CVS Pharmacy interns who are in their final two years of pharmacy education, with $20,000 available for each year while working as an intern for CVS Pharmacy.
Commitment to Human Rights and Ethical Sourcing
CVS Health is committed to respecting human rights by preventing and mitigating adverse impacts of its business and promoting human rights by taking actions that proactively contribute to the enjoyment of human rights. The Human Rights Policy was approved by executive leadership, and oversight and responsibility for implementation of the policy rests with a cross-functional team, including members representing compliance, legal, procurement, and human resources. Since 2016, CVS Health has collaborated with experts at Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) to conduct regular human rights impact assessments and gap analyses informed by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
CVS Health recognizes that its colleagues are its greatest asset and is committed to providing a positive, rewarding, and safe work environment for every colleague. The company is also committed to respecting and promoting its patients’ and customers’ human rights. Where CVS Health is directly linked to human rights impacts through its business relationships, it seeks ways to positively influence the human rights actions of its business partners, including its suppliers. A live virtual training for suppliers regarding program requirements drew over 250 attendees in 2024. Over 1,000 suppliers and factories also participated in e-Learning modules. To ensure factories are meeting local laws and international standards as it relates to human rights concerns, audits are conducted by an independent third-party audit firm partner, UL, through the Ethical Sourcing & CTPAT Compliance Program.
Factories are required to undergo a pre-qualification audit and then a routine audit every 6-12 months, depending on performance. Audit reports are provided to the supplier and factory, which are required to submit a corrective action and preventative action plan for each audit finding. All store brand products are tested by a third-party testing partner, UL, prior to and at the initial distribution to CVS Pharmacy stores. The Tested to Be Trusted® program requires third-party testing of all vitamins and supplements sold in-store and online to confirm the accuracy of the dietary ingredients listed on the supplement facts panel and that products are free from certain additives and ingredients.
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CVS Health recognizes the value of including underserved and small businesses in its supply chain. Launching for commercial payors, CVS CostVantage helps shift how the pharmacy is compensated by payors, by aligning pharmacy reimbursement to the quality of services provided and the prescriptions dispensed. CVS Caremark TrueCost provides greater pricing transparency, predictability, and sustainability for prescription benefits.
Data Security and Responsible AI
Safeguarding the data and information received about members, patients, customers, and colleagues is of the utmost importance to CVS Health. The company's public policy objectives are shaped by its determination to redefine healthcare to create more personalized, connected, and people-centered experiences. Engaging in the policymaking process in the communities served and at the federal level helps CVS Health improve access to care, lower costs, and become a trusted health partner for its clients and customers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform how healthcare is delivered, how people experience receiving care, and how they can live their healthiest lives possible. As AI advances, CVS Health is committed to doing its part to help ensure its safe, responsible, and ethical use. The company is a founding partner of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), which brings together a vast array of healthcare leaders with a mission to be the trusted source for the safe and responsible use of AI in healthcare.
Opportunities for Students and Graduates
CVS Health offers a variety of opportunities for students and recent graduates, including internships and leadership development programs. These programs provide valuable job training and help launch promising careers in various fields of interest. Premier internship, rotational experience, and post-graduate opportunities are designed to immerse participants in the unique ways CVS Health provides patient-centered care. The clinical opportunities at CVS Health put individuals at the forefront of patient care.
CVS Health welcomes all purpose-driven talent and offers student experiences designed to put individuals on the path to success. Benefits are more than pay, time off, and 401k; they are designed to be holistic, supporting every aspect of an individual's life. The application process for internships is straightforward, and recruiters review applications promptly. There is no limit on how many positions an individual can apply to, but it is recommended to apply to 1-3 roles.
CVS Health has roles available in a variety of office and store locations across the United States. The largest corporate offices are in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Arizona, Illinois, and Texas. Locations vary by role. CVS Health adheres to a hybrid model for corporate office-based roles. To best support patients, retail management, distribution center, and retail pharmacy roles will continue to require colleagues to be on site. CVS Health may offer relocation packages for qualifying roles and locations that meet relocation requirements.
Internship and post-graduation roles are paid. For post-graduation student roles, CVS Health currently sponsors visas for some Analytics, Data Science, and MBA roles. Visa sponsorship is also available for pharmacy interns upon licensure in approved markets. Roles start with a company orientation, role orientation, and training modules to ensure individuals are set up to succeed. CVS Health partners with SEI (Capella University & Strayer University) and Colorado Technical University (CTU) to offer many degree programs with no out-of-pocket cost when using tuition reimbursement. Up to $3,000 annually is available for degree programs and up to $1,500 for approved non-degree programs, including the career online high school program. Colleagues regularly scheduled to work 30 or more hours per week are eligible for benefits the first day of the month following their hire date. Those regularly scheduled to work less than 30 hours per week are eligible after 90 days of service.
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