CVS Health Works to Help People with Disabilities Find Employment

WOONSOCKET, R.I. (November 8, 2017)—CVS Health announced a collaboration with the National Consortium of State-Operated Comprehensive Rehabilitation Centers (NCSOCRC) to help Americans with disabilities find meaningful employment at CVS Pharmacy locations across the country. The announcement coincides with the opening of a mock pharmacy at the Arkansas Career Training Institute (ACTI) in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

The new mock pharmacy at ACTI is one of eight locations the company will open by spring 2018, and the result of the collaboration with NCSOCRC. In addition to two locations which previously opened in Fishersville, Va. and Johnstown, Pa., CVS Health plans to support mock pharmacy training facilities in Baltimore, Md.; Plainwell, Mich.; Smyrna, Tenn.; Warm Springs, Ga.; and Thelma, Ky.

Through the mock CVS Pharmacy locations, individuals with disabilities receive classroom and hands-on training in life and job skills such as providing customer service, stocking shelves and working at the cash register. Each center is installed with mock equipment and participants work closely with trained staff to learn about the roles and responsibilities of front store and pharmacy technician positions. Individuals who complete the program qualify to apply for a position at CVS Pharmacy.

The first mock pharmacy location of this kind opened at the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville, Va. in April 2016. Since its opening, 41 participants have completed the program and 11 have been hired for employment with CVS Pharmacy.

Kaylee Merrick, a 2016 graduate of the program, now works for CVS Pharmacy in Northern Virginia. When asked about her job, she said, “… (CVS) has open arms to anyone and they have a lot of patience. It’s always a joy to see (my regular customers) and interact with them, it’s been amazing!”

“CVS Health is focused on breaking down the employment barriers that individuals with disabilities face, which these facilities help to achieve,” said David Casey, vice president, Workforce Strategies and Chief Diversity Officer, CVS Health. “We are proud to be working with the NCSOCRC to help people with disabilities access the security and prosperity that stable jobs can provide.”

“Our consortium is charged with providing people with disabilities with opportunities for competitive employment within multiple sectors of the Nation’s workforce,” said Jonathan Bibb, President of NCSOCRC and Director of ACTI. “Working with CVS Health provides the people we serve with direct access to great careers in health care, along with the support of business leaders with proven records of innovation and inclusion. This is the new definition of business engagement.”

Visit cvshealth.com for more information.