A Year of Growth and Gratitude

The last three years have challenged the health care community in ways big and small. But as I look at where MinuteClinic stands at the end of 2022—and how it fits into CVS Health’s broader health care delivery strategy—I'm reminded of how far we’ve come and how much we’ve achieved. CVS Health is committed to meeting consumers where they are and providing them with options to access convenient, affordable, high-quality care, whether it be at home, virtually or in the community. MinuteClinic is a key part of that strategy, as we build on our 20-year history of caring for patients in 1,100+ communities across the U.S. And in 2022, from our services to our workforce, we’ve experienced positive changes that are worth celebrating.?

While we have lots of exciting plans for the future, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on our successes in 2022 and recognize the tireless work of all those who helped us advance our care delivery and build even stronger relationships with our patients and communities. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve done and where we’re going.?

First and foremost, I want to share my deep gratitude for our care delivery workforce. Their flexibility, resilience and commitment to our patients make everything we do possible. Whether a patient is coming in with a one-time concern or is visiting regularly to receive treatment for a chronic condition, they can trust that our care team providers and nurses will take the time to get to know them and build a meaningful relationship.?

That’s the kind of human touch our care delivery workforce embraces — and not just with patients. Our providers and nurses are community volunteers, educators and leaders. And many serve as preceptors and mentors for our workforce, ensuring we maintain a culture where personal, high-quality care is valued above all else. In 2022, 12 of our providers won MinuteClinic’s Preceptor of the Year award for their mentorship. Plus, Jill Colpitts, a MinuteClinic provider in Granger, Indiana, won a Paragon Award, the highest honor a CVS Health colleague can receive. These are just a few of the many exemplary clinicians at CVS Health, and I couldn’t be more proud to call them colleagues and friends.?

We also have an outstanding group of dedicated leaders and colleagues in a variety of support roles. These individuals and teams worked tirelessly in 2022 to improve upon our organization’s ability to deliver both a quality patient and retail health colleague experience. Some notable successes they have achieved in 2022 include:?

• Increased hiring & integration of ancillary nurses into our care delivery team??
• Launch of the MinuteClinic Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council??
• Shared Leadership Council guided bidirectional communication and workforce-recommended process improvements???
• Expanded new hire orientation & training??
• Clinical resources to guide the safe administration of vaccines??
• Enhanced real-time peer to peer collaboration with Epic Secure Chat and the Virtual Consultation Center??
• Budgeted compliance training and administrative hours outside of clinic shifts??
• Became an Age-Friendly Health Care Systems Committed to Care Excellence organization.?
• Extended visit times for select services and populations??
• Pre-visit patient insurance capture and Optical Character Recognition technology?
• Expanded CME/Professional Memberships including AANP membership and NPACE discounts?

In 2023, MinuteClinic is up for reaccreditation by The Joint Commission. Thanks to the commitment of our care delivery team to the delivery of quality and safe patient experiences, I am confident we will reach our goal. We were the first retail health care provider to achieve Joint Commission accreditation back in 2006 and we’ve only grown stronger since. In 2022 alone, we’ve added a number of new services, including incorporating age-friendly best practices into every appointment with patients ages 65+. Whatever 2023 holds, our providers and nurses are ready to help our patients live healthy lives.?

Speaking of our services, those also played an important role in 2022. Throughout the year, we expanded our offerings to meet the changing needs and expectations of our patients. In particular, we focused on:?

• Mental Health: As part of our commitment to treating whole health, we’re expanding mental health counseling services at MinuteClinic. Provided by Licensed Mental Health Providers, our services include counseling for life adjustments, depression, stress and anxiety. And patients can receive counseling in-person in select locations or virtually.?
• Women’s Health: Quality primary-care enabled services can help reduce the care gaps that increase the likelihood of chronic illness later in women’s lives. That’s why we’ve been focused on expanding our women’s health services . Women can now come to us for reproductive health concerns, breast health, family planning, treatment of chronic conditions and more.?
• Omnichannel Care: Virtual health care — also known as telehealth — increases access to health care and boosts convenience of care. In our efforts to help more people get the preventive and acute care they need, we’ve embraced omnichannel care . From in-person visits to virtual appointments and with the foundation of an integrated electronic health records (EHR) system, we’re providing personal, high-quality care where and when people need it most.?

Caring for our patients is central to our purpose. Throughout 2022, we’ve made it easier than ever for patients to receive care, meeting them wherever they are with the care they need. But our work is about more than ease of access.?

Our 2022 Health Care Insights Study revealed that, more than ever, patients want to build lasting relationships with their providers and have meaningful conversations about their health. That insight guided our vision for MinuteClinic throughout 2022. And the work we did this year has set us up for an even brighter future.?

MinuteClinic is providing the space and care that people need and want in our changing world. I am so thankful that we’re able to be here for our patients.??

The welfare of our care delivery workforce is a leadership priority. The past three years have been extremely difficult, and that includes the impact on the health and well-being of our care delivery workforce, both within our organization and across the national health care landscape. As a purpose-driven leadership team that Puts People First and Leads with Heart, we are working hard to listen to the experiences of our care delivery workforce, strategize to support meaningful change and deliver the resources needed to optimize the health and well-being of our front-line colleagues.??

In addition to the work of our field and corporate leadership teams, we are advancing our culture of bidirectional feedback and shared governance through the launch of Colleague Listening Roundtables. The feedback received from these direct, leader-to-colleague conversations will augment our existing shared leadership work and inform improvements and new directions aimed at delivering a quality colleague experience for our care delivery workforce.?

We believe in empowering our workforce and together, meeting the needs of our patients, their families, and our communities. As MinuteClinic continues to evolve and redefine health care, I am grateful to be a part of our amazing organization. I look forward to seeing the exciting changes and opportunities the new year will bring. Wishing you a safe, happy and healthy holiday season!??