DSN Women Leaders 2014: Nancy Gagliano, MinuteClinic

Nancy Gagliano has always been passionate about helping people live healthier lives — a devotion that led her to primary care and ultimately to CVS Health’s MinuteClinic.

Gagliano has worked as MinuteClinic’s chief medical officer since 2010, overseeing medical guide-lines, affiliate relationships, expansion, new services, operations and physician collaboration.

 As MinuteClinic forges ahead on its goal of 1,500 clinics by the end of 2017, Gagliano is helping to support the nationwide rollout of the company’s smoking cessation program, Start to Stop, which launched in September when it stopped selling tobacco in all stores.

“The combination of medication and coaching can nearly double quit rates from 7% to 15%, which is why our 26,000 pharmacists and nurse practitioners are playing a vital role in the program’s implementation,” Gagliano said. “... This is a novel approach to integrating pharmacy in support of cessation, and I’m pleased to be playing a role in it.”

In today’s evolving healthcare environment, Gagliano plays a crucial role at MinuteClinic, and she eagerly tackles it with perseverance, passion, accountability and innovation. But Gagliano admits that her journey hasn’t always been easy.

“The path for being an executive female physician is not well worn. So, it’s been extremely helpful to have many people in my life that support and encourage me. While my parents grew up in an era when college was unattainable, they let me know it was something I could aspire to and ultimately achieve. Nothing was going to stop me from going. My science teacher also taught me that becoming a doctor was an absolutely reasonable career for a woman,” Gagliano said.

To view the full DSN Women Leaders 2014 report, click here.