CVS Caremark recognized for employee health initiatives

WOONSOCKET, R.I. CVS Caremark's proactive approach to workplace health and its investment in programs that help employees and their families make better choices about their health and well-being has been recognized with an award from the National Business Group on Health, the company announced on Tuesday.

This recognition came with CVS Caremark's inclusion on the 2010 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles list unveiled this week by the National Business Group on Health at its Institute on Innovation in Workforce Well-being Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. The company received a Gold Award for its WellRewards programs supporting employees who embrace healthy behaviors and who commit to long-term behavior changes to improve their health. CVS Caremark was the only company in the retail pharmacy or PBM sectors to be recognized at the Summit. CVS Caremark also won this recognition in 2009.

"As a company that is contributing to the health of millions of Americans through our CVS/pharmacy stores, our MinuteClinic network of retail clinics and our pharmacy services division, we are excited to receive national recognition once again for our wellness programs for our own colleagues," stated Larry Merlo, president and COO of CVS Caremark. "We thank the National Business Group on Health for this honor as we continue to empower employee health at CVS Caremark and to make high quality health care more accessible and more affordable for consumers and for employers and other health plan sponsors."

Now in its sixth year, the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards reward those employers who have responded to the need to improve their workers' health, productivity and quality of life. CVS Caremark's wellness investments helped employees in several key areas in 2009 including smoking cessation, improved rates of mammograms and colon-cancer screenings, prenatal maternity care, physical activity and healthy eating.