Staff specialists to provide comprehensive
skills training and job placement, as well as wraparound
health care services
BATON
ROUGE, La., April 25,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS) today
announced the opening of a new workforce development and community
resource center designed to help the Baton
Rouge community overcome employment barriers and increase
access to local health care services.
Located at 5353 Essen Lane, the facility includes a Workforce
Innovation & Talent Center (WITC), which offers comprehensive
career skills training and job placement that includes a CVS
Pharmacy® mock store, simulated pharmacy environment and authentic,
hands-on externships at local CVS Pharmacy locations. It also
includes a new Community Resource Center (CRC) supported by Aetna
Better Health of Louisiana, a CVS
Health company. The CRC provides the public, Aetna Medicaid members
and workforce program participants onsite health needs assessments
and education, help with navigating their health benefits, access
to computers and state-of-the-art teleconferencing, CPR and first
aid training and connections to a local network of care
providers.
Staffed with a dedicated team of career skills trainers and care
navigators from CVS Health, Aetna and workforce community
organizations, the combination WITC/CRC marks the first time the
company has co-located these critical community resources, bridging
the gap between career training and health services that help
overcome impediments to stable employment.
"As a leading health solutions company, we know that there is a
strong connection between sustainable employment and health and
wellness," said Jess Hall, CEO of
Aetna Better Health of Louisiana,
a CVS Health company. "With the combined resources of CVS Health
and Aetna and our network of community partners, we are uniquely
positioned to help the people of Baton
Rouge access the career skills training and the health and
wellness services they need to overcome barriers to employment,
stay healthy and motivated and ultimately succeed in their
careers."
According to a Louisiana Department of Health
report1, increased access to employment and career
training programs are among the efforts that are significant in
improving health outcomes.
"I firmly believe in the power of public-private partnerships to
drive positive change and create opportunities for our community.
The collaboration between Big Buddy Baton Rouge and CVS Health
through the Mayor's Youth Workforce Experience (MYWE) exemplifies
this commitment, as it provides invaluable workforce development
environments and hands-on job training to our future workforce,"
said Mayor-President Sharon Weston
Broome. "By working together, we can ensure that our
residents have the skills and resources they need to thrive in
today's competitive job market. This partnership not only benefits
the individuals involved but also strengthens our local economy and
fosters a brighter future for Baton
Rouge."
This summer will mark three years that CVS Pharmacy locations
throughout Baton Rouge will serve
as host sites for summer externs enrolled in the MYWE program. In
collaboration with Big Buddy to source MYWE talent, CVS Health has
made it possible for more than 50 Baton Rouge high school students
to receive quality afterschool and summer workforce
experiences.
"Working at CVS has really helped to strengthen my communication
skills, because prior to my externship I was shy, but I've since
realized I'm an extrovert," said 16-year-old A'amya Johnson, a MYWE
scholar who now works part-time as a CVS Pharmacy retail associate
following the successful completion of a 2023 summer externship. "I
love everything about my job especially talking to the customers.
This opportunity has helped me decide that I want to pursue a
health care career."
At the intersection of health care, workforce and education, CVS
Health's workforce programming has created pathways to employment
in more than 1,150 communities across the U.S. over the past
decades. In 2023, in collaboration with federal, state and local
agencies, nonprofit, faith-based and career development
organizations, the company streamlined access to meaningful
employment for more than 1,400 individuals2.
About CVS Health
CVS Health® is the leading health solutions company, delivering
care like no one else can. We reach more people and improve the
health of communities across America through our local presence,
digital channels and over 300,000 dedicated colleagues – including
more than 40,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses and nurse
practitioners. Wherever and whenever people need us, we help them
with their health – whether that's managing chronic diseases,
staying compliant with their medications or accessing affordable
health and wellness services in the most convenient ways. We help
people navigate the health care system – and their personal health
care – by improving access, lowering costs and being a trusted
partner for every meaningful moment of health. And we do it all
with heart, each and every day. Follow @CVSHealth on social
media.
Media Contact
Shannon Dillon,
Shannon.Dillon@CVSHealth.com
Mobile: (346) 291-7131
1 https://ldh.la.gov/assets/cphe/resources/BTH-FACT-SHEET.pdf
2 CVS Health 2023 Impact Report
Healthy-2030-Impact-Report.pdf (cvshealth.com)
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SOURCE CVS Health