WOONSOCKET, R.I., April 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, a private foundation created by CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), announced today that $2.6 million in grants has been awarded to 66 non-profit organizations across the country to provide them with much-needed funding. The new grant recipients were chosen through the 2012 CVS Caremark Charitable Trust’s annual grant cycle. The awarded grants align with CVS Caremark’s purpose of helping people on their path to better health and focus on initiatives supporting access to health care and children’s programming.

To advance the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust’s efforts to improve the quality of health and well-being of underserved populations, grants were awarded to support innovative approaches that increase access to health care for underserved populations – including support for mobile health innovations that bring health care services to locations where people need them most.

Grants also align with CVS Caremark All Kids Can, a signature program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, that is committed to helping children of all abilities to be the best that they can be by increasing access to specialized medical and rehabilitation services, and providing inclusive opportunities for physical activity, play and social enrichment.

“We are excited to help deserving non-profit organizations with the funding they need to create healthier outcomes in their local communities in 2013,” said Eileen Howard Boone, President, CVS Caremark Charitable Trust. ”All of the non-profit organizations we support share our purpose of helping people on their path to better health, and we are honored to recognize the important work they do to make a difference in the lives of children and families in the communities we serve.”

Funding from the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust will support the following key areas:

Access to Health Care
As the health care landscape continues to change, the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust is committed to funding programs that provide communities greater access to health care and medical services. Grants totaling more than $680,000 will support a wide range of services from wellness programs for military veterans to breast screenings for underserved woman. The California Schools Health Centers Association will use its grant to open three school-based health centers which will serve thousands of students in low-income communities in the Oakland area.

Coordinated Care
Of the $2.1 million, more than $285,000 will support programs that are implementing coordinated care for children with disabilities. By combining all medical and treatment services into one comprehensive plan, coordinated care can be highly effective, yet expensive. The May Institute was awarded a grant by the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust to expand access to effective treatment of autism for children in military families and to improve the coordination of their care.

Early Intervention
More than 25 percent of American children under the age of five are at risk for developmental delays or behavioral problems. Every year, 1.45 million children who are at risk for go unidentified and nearly as many children are eligible for early intervention services, but never receive them.  More than $400,000 will support programs that are responding to the need of early intervention services for children, including the Marcus Autism Center which was awarded a grant to implement eye-tracking technology to diagnose children with autism earlier, thereby creating greater opportunities for early intervention services.

Inclusion
By ensuring that all children, regardless of ability, have access to similar childhood experiences without segregation or differentiation, inclusion services are instrumental to a child’s successful growth and development. The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust is providing grants totaling more than $780,000 to expand inclusive opportunities for children of all abilities to be able to learn, play and succeed side-by-side, including a grant to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago to support adaptive sports programming for disadvantaged youth of all abilities.

In addition to the grants awarded by the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, CVS Caremark provided more than $3 million in 2012 to support a variety of programs focused on making a positive impact in local communities, including:

• Nearly $600,000 in support of national partnerships with Easter Seals, VSA and Boundless Playgrounds that are focused on making a positive impact in the lives of children with disabilities.
• More than $550,000 to Pharmacy Schools for scholarship programs to support talented students.
• $475,000 to provide college scholarships to children of CVS Caremark colleagues.
• $150,000 in support of the CVS Caremark Volunteer Challenge Grant program which allows colleagues to apply for a grant on behalf of a non-profit organization they volunteer with.
• $130,000 to help aid disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Isaac, Tropical Storm Debby and Mid-Atlantic floods.
• $100,000 to the United Way of Rhode Island to support the BrightStars initiative which helps to give families in Rhode Island access quality child care, early learning and school-age programs.

The complete list of non-profit organizations awarded CVS Caremark Charitable Trust grants include:

Arizona

• Special Olympics Arizona, Inc.
• People of Color Network, Inc.

California

• Circle of Friends
• San Diego Public Library Foundation
• Support For Families Of Children With Disabilities
• California School Health Centers Association
• Health Mobile
• Promises2Kids Foundation
• California State University, Northridge Foundation
• Community Gatepath

Connecticut

• Hole In The Wall Gang Fund, Inc.
• Unified Theater, Inc.
• Hartford Hospital

District of Columbia

• National Children’s Museum
• Children’s Defense Fund
• Generations United, Inc.

Florida

• Communities In Schools Of Florida, Inc.
• Baptist Health South Florida Foundation, Inc.
• The Family Network On Disabilities Of Manatee Sarasota, Inc.

Georgia

• Georgians For A Healthy Future, Inc.
• Visiting Nurse Health System, Inc.
• Marcus Autism Center, Inc.

Illinois

• Center For Companies That Care
• Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
• Chicago Zoological Society
• Gigis Playhouse, Inc.

Indiana

• Indiana Canine Assistant Network, Inc.

Iowa

• The Sparkle Effect, Inc.

Kansas

• Kansas University Endowment Association

Louisiana

• The SUNS Center

Maine

• MaineHealth

Maryland

• Baltimore Children’s Museum, Inc.
• Kennedy Krieger Institute

Massachusetts

• Boys And Girls Clubs Of Dorchester, Inc.
• Jewish Community Center Of Greater Boston, Inc.
• Home Care, Inc.
• New England Center For Children, Inc.
• May Institute, Inc.

Michigan

• Leslie Science & Nature Center
• St. Joseph Mercy Oakland

Minnesota

• Children’s Health Care Foundation
• Courage Center

Missouri

• United 4 Children

New Hampshire

• Crotched Mountain Foundation

New Jersey

• Community Hope, Inc.
• South Jersey Healthcare, Inc.
• Ladacin Network, Inc.

Nevada

• Future Smiles

New Mexico

• Las Cumbres Community Services, Inc.

New York

• Brooklyn Public Library
• Frost Valley YMCA

Ohio

• OSU Chabad House, Inc.
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Oklahoma

• Oklahoma Performing Arts, Inc.

Pennsylvania

• Carnegie Institute
• Klein And Stiffel JCCs
• Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh Foundation

Rhode Island

• Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation
• Family Service Of Rhode Island, Inc.

South Carolina

• South Carolina Special Olympics
• The Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties

Texas

• Special Olympics Texas, Inc.
• LaunchAbility

Utah

• University of Utah

Virginia

• Association Of Children’s Museums, Inc.
• Goochland Free Clinic And Family Services, Inc.

For more information on the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, please visit http://info.cvscaremark.com/community/our-impact/charitable-trust.

About the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust

The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, Inc. is a private foundation created by CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS). CVS Caremark is the largest pharmacy health care provider in the nation. The Trust’s mission is to provide funding for health care, education and community involvement initiatives in CVS Caremark communities. General information about CVS Caremark is available through the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s Web site at http://investor.cvs.com or through the Web site’s press room at www.cvs.com/pressroom

CONTACT: Joanne Dwyer, 1-401-770-2898, jdwyer@cvs.com

The post CVS Caremark Charitable Trust Supports Non-profits Nationwide with $2.6 Million in Funding appeared first on DiversityInc.

The post CVS Caremark Research Finds Medication Adherence Can Improve Outcomes and Reduce Costs for Patients with Coronary Artery Disease appeared first on DiversityInc.

CEO Larry J. Merlo Signed Statement of Support for Guard and Reserve Members

WOONSOCKET, R.I., Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) joined forces with the Rhode Island National Guard and Reserve and sponsored a “Hiring Our Heroes” Hiring Fair at the National Guard Armory in Warwick, RI this morning. The job fair helped veterans, active military members and military spouses find meaningful employment opportunities at CVS Caremark.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090226/NE75914LOGO )

“Hiring Our Heroes plays a vital role in connecting our nation’s veterans to jobs,” said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO of CVS Caremark. “Our servicemen and women, and their families, sacrifice so much for our country. This initiative helps ease their transition from active duty to civilian life and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Prior to the job fair, CVS Caremark’s President and CEO Larry Merlo signed the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve’s Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve. By signing the pledge, CVS Caremark made a commitment to support the nation’s veterans and active military members. Merlo was joined by Brigadier General Charles Petrarca, the Assistant Adjutant General of the Rhode Island National Guard; James Rebholz, National Chairman of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; Mike Ritz, Chairman of the Rhode Island branch of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; and Kevin Schmiegel, Executive Director of Hiring Our Heroes and Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“CVS Caremark appreciates the values and skills service members bring to the workforce. Currently, veterans and military members work in a number of positions across our company and we are pleased to be encouraging opportunities to hire additional guardsmen, reservists, and veterans,” added Merlo. “We are looking forward to learning about how these talented individuals may be able to strengthen our business and enhance our company’s workforce.”

CVS Caremark is one of nine Chairman’s Circle national sponsors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative. Since 2011, CVS Caremark has participated in more than 40 Veterans-focused Hiring Fairs across the country.

About CVS Caremark
CVS Caremark is dedicated to helping people on their path to better health as the largest integrated pharmacy company in the United States. Through the company’s more than 7,400 CVS/pharmacy stores; its leading pharmacy benefit manager serving more than 60 million plan members; and its retail health clinic system, the largest in the nation with more than 600 MinuteClinic locations, it is a market leader in mail order, retail and specialty pharmacy, retail clinics, and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans.  As a pharmacy innovation company with an unmatched breadth of capabilities, CVS Caremark continually strives to improve health and lower costs by developing new approaches such as its unique Pharmacy Advisor program that helps people with chronic diseases such as diabetes obtain and stay on their medications.  Find more information about how CVS Caremark is reinventing pharmacy for better health at info.cvscaremark.com.

The post CVS Caremark Sponsored Hiring Our Heroes Hiring Fair at Rhode Island National Guard Armory appeared first on DiversityInc.

Michele C. Meyer-Shipp
Michele C. Meyer-Shipp has been named vice president and chief diversity officer of Prudential Financial, succeeding Emilio Egea, who retired. In her new role, Meyer-Shipp is responsible for leading and directing all diversity-and-inclusion initiatives for the company, and for ensuring ongoing compliance with federal and state equal employment opportunity/affirmative action laws and requirements. Prudential is No. 9 in The 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity.

Meyer-Shipp joined Prudential in April 2010 as vice president and counsel in the Employment and Labor Law group. She has also been general counsel for the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, vice president and diversity manager in Merrill Lynch’s Global Wealth Management division, and director of the state of New Jersey’s Division of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action. Prior to that, she was a practicing attorney.

Meyer-Shipp is an active member of the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Corporate Counsel Women of Color and the National Employment Law Council. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Rutgers School of Criminal Justice and her juris doctor at Seton Hall University School of Law.

R. Fenimore Fisher
R. Fenimore Fisher has been named a deputy commissioner and the chief diversity and EEO officer for the City of New York. He is responsible for the leadership of the Office of Citywide Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity, and will design and implement strategies to position the city as a world-class leader in diversity and inclusion. Prior to his appointment, Fisher was managing partner of the R. Fenimore Fisher Group, a global D&I and alternative dispute-resolution firm. Fisher previously served as vice president of diversity initiatives and analysis for Walmart and as executive director of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition’s Wall Street Project.

A member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, Fisher serves on the national leadership council for GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) as well as the corporate advisory council for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Fisher holds a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University, a Juris Doctor from Ohio Northern University and a labor-mediation certification from Cornell University.

Jennifer “Jae” Pi’ilani Requiro
Jennifer “Jae” Pi’ilani Requiro has been named national manager of diversity and inclusion at Toyota Financial Services. Her responsibilities include diversity-and-inclusion education and executive scorecards, mentoring and Toyota Business Partnering Groups. She also develops strategies to increase market share, capture more multicultural customers and increase partnerships with diverse suppliers. Requiro has a bachelor’s degree from UCLA.

Barbara Frankel
Barbara Frankel, senior vice president and executive editor of DiversityInc, has been named to the newly established global advisory board for WEConnect International, a corporate-led nonprofit that facilitates sustainable economic growth by empowering and connecting women business owners globally. Others named to the 22-person board include Kathleen Matthews, executive vice president and chief global communications and public affairs officer, Marriott International; Julie Oyegun, chief diversity officer, the World Bank Group; and Catherine Rodgers, vice president, Global Opportunties and Business Development, IBM.

Margaret E. Burke
Margaret E. Burke has been admitted into PricewaterhouseCoopers’ partnership. In her ongoing role as U.S. Advisory human-capital leader, Burke oversees the strategic development, direction and implementation of the Advisory practice’s recruitment, development, talent management, rewards and retention programs. Burke holds a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College. PricewaterhouseCoopers is No. 1 in the DiversityInc Top 50.

Tracy Nolan and Pushpendu Pal
CVS Caremark has appointed Tracy Nolan and Pushpendu Pal to new positions, Nolan to vice president of strategic product delivery and Pal to senior vice president of the information technology division within the company’s prescription benefit management (PBM) business. Nolan, who comes to CVS from WellPoint, is responsible for operationally expanding flagship product offerings and for newly developed products and programs. Pal’s promotion is a reflection of his work in leading the division in delivering stable and robust internal-application services and deploying information technology.

Terrez Thompson
The Coca-Cola Company has promoted Terrez Thompson to vice president of global supplier diversity. She will lead and promote the company’s efforts to maximize procurement opportunities with diverse businesses as suppliers, contractors and subcontractors. Thompson has held a variety of roles in more than 25 years at The Coca-Cola Company, including controller of The Coca-Cola Trading Company. The Coca-Cola Company is No. 46 in the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50.

Kevin Jennings
The Arcus Foundation, a leading global foundation advancing pressing social-justice and conservation issues, has named Kevin Jennings as executive director. Jennings was previously CEO of Be the Change Inc., where  he was instrumental in launching the Opportunity Nation campaign to promote economic opportunity and social mobility in America. Jennings has also served as assistant deputy secretary of education under President Obama and founded the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Jennings has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and master’s degrees from Columbia University Teacher’s College and New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Jesus Soto Jr.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has appointed Jesus Soto Jr. to further solidify the leadership team charged with building the nation’s safest natural-gas delivery system. He will serve as senior vice president of gas transmission, operations, engineering and pipeline integrity. Soto is responsible for overseeing four major functions: public safety and integrity management; project engineering, design and management; gas transmission; and gas system operations.

Richelle Parham
Richelle Parham, chief marketing officer of eBay North America, has been elected to the board of directors of Scripps Networks Interactive. At eBay, Parham directs the company’s core marketing functions. She is also responsible for brand engagement, driving eBay’s seasonal marketing calendar and leading its customer-insights and marketing-analytics functions.

Richard Mark
Richard Mark has been promoted to chairman, president and CEO of Ameren Illinois. Mark’s responsibilities include the company’s natural-gas and electric delivery business, customer service, natural-gas and electric supply, community relations and government relations. Prior to joining Ameren in 2002, he spent five years as COO and six years as president and CEO at St. Mary’s Hospital in East St. Louis, Ill.

Daisy Auger-Dominguez
Daisy Auger-Dominguez joined the Disney/ABC Television Group as vice president of organization and workforce diversity. Auger-Dominguez focuses on helping the company attract, develop and retain diverse talent in support of business objectives, and is responsible for continuing to develop the company’s diversity-and-inclusion strategy, goals and plans. She previously served as a diversity executive at Time Warner and Moody’s Corporation. She has a bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University and a master’s degree from New York University.

Ramona G. Blake
Ramona G. Blake has been appointed director of diversity and inclusion at TIAA-CREF Financial Services. She is responsible for diversity-strategy design and implementation, special initiatives and training in the following areas: marketplace, supplier, workforce and workplace. Previously, Blake was manager of diversity and inclusion at PSEG. She has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a Certified Diversity Professional certificate from Cornell’s ILR School.

Dermot J. O’Brien
Dermot J. O’Brien has been named chief human resources officer and corporate vice president at Automatic Data Processing. In his new role, O’Brien works with ADP’s senior leadership team to develop workforce plans and programs that align with ADP’s overall strategic objectives. His responsibilities include forecasting ADP’s global talent needs; implementing initiatives that effectively attract, develop, deploy and retain a diverse talent population; overseeing succession planning and management development; and improving ADP’s already strong levels of employee engagement. Prior to joining ADP, O’Brien was executive vice president of human resources at TIAA-CREF. A Dublin, Ireland, native, O’Brien has a bachelor’s degree from Pace University. ADP is No. 27 in the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50.

Dr. Antonio Flores
Dr. Antonio Flores, president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU), invited DiversityInc CEO Luke Visconti to become a member of the organization’s 17-member Corporate & Philanthropic Council. The council’s goal is to provide guidance and assistance to Dr. Flores and the association’s development division and public-affairs office to ensure its mission, programs and events receive support and that its strategic plans are realized. Other council members include: Raymond Arroyo, Aetna; Alma Guajardo-Crossley, General Motors; Jim Fjelstul, Sodexo; Jerry Gattegno, Deloitte; and Angel Herrera, ARAMARK.

Anthony Salcido and Mónica Gil
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund inducted six new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame on Oct. 17 in New York City. The 2012 inductees are: Dr. Yolanda García Romero, professor of history, North Lake College; Mónica Gil, senior vice president, public affairs and government relations, Nielsen Company;  José P. Chan, MIT Sloan Fellow in Innovation and Global Leadership and adjunct professor, Parsons the New School for Design; Cyrus Amado Salazar, equal opportunity manager, U.S. Air Force; and Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros, president and vice president, The Gilbert & Jacki Cisneros Foundation. Additionally, Melanie L. Healey, group president, North America of HSF partner company Procter & Gamble, accepted an honorary recognition on behalf of P&G for contributing more than $4 million to HSF since 1986.

The post Prudential’s New CDO, Plus Toyota Promotes Diversity Leader [Slideshow] appeared first on DiversityInc.

The presenters—David Casey, Vice President of Workforce Strategies and Chief Diversity Officer, CVS Caremark; Susan Autera, Director, Business & Technical Leadership, and Shivani Kathuria, Business & Technical Leadership Partner, IBM; and Christine Talbot, Vice President, Human Resources, and Barry Myers, Director, National Leadership Development, Kaiser Permanente—discussed:

• How CVS Caremark Tracks Talent Development: the company’s nine-box talent matrix rates employees’ current performance and future potential. The goal is to have a diverse in-house slate for higher-level openings.
• Why IBM Promotes Learning From Leaders: Rather than a traditional mentoring program, female high-potentials interview women senior executives in an effort to understand and document their career journeys. The company then tries to replicate recurring themes to accelerate the careers of its future women leaders.
• How Kaiser Permanente Sets High Standards: To make sure that high-potentials have the right tools to take on leadership roles, Kaiser has four management-development programs, including a Diversity Leadership Program that pairs executives and mentees.

Takeaways include: How to on-board of new hires to improve retention, set requirements for diverse candidate slates, use your executive diversity council to set diversity goals, and get senior-level executives involved in cross-cultural mentoring.

Please log in to watch the presentation and download the slides.

Not a subscriber? Buy this web seminar now, or request subscriber information and pricing for DiversityIncBestPractices.com. 

The post Web Seminar: Ensuring Diversity in Succession Planning appeared first on DiversityInc.

We asked Jim Norman of Kraft Foods, No. 7 in the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50; Raymond Arroyo of Aetna, No. 24; and David Casey of CVS Caremark, one of DiversityInc’s 25 Noteworthy Companies, for their views on the DiversityInc Top 50 process. We came away with the three main areas in diversity management that they cite as having received value from the process.

If you would like to participate in the DiversityInc Top 50 survey for diversity management, click here for more information.

• They use the survey to create an overall diversity blueprint and determine areas of focus for their diversity management  

Jim Norman of Kraft: The survey can be used by a chief diversity officer as a strategic tool to create conversations with partners in the organization that he or she has not had or has been dying to have, and to put some parameters around what “best in class” looks like. It’s work that you’re doing for yourself and the organization to get better and to monitor your progress each and every year. 

Raymond Arroyo of Aetna: We have quarterly reports that mimic the DiversityInc Top 50 methodology so that we know whether we are making progress against the goals. This relates to the methods DiversityInc is going to measure, and the survey tells us that. We get all the data around new hires, retention and promotions.

David Casey of CVS Caremark: When I sent the CEO Commitment section to our head of communications (she’s kind of the CEO’s keeper), she started scratching her head, saying, “Wow, these are really the things we should be having them focus on.” It’s another way for me to get best-practice information out there in front of different parts of the business. 

• The survey captures trends and best practices across various organizations that become the standard for diversity management

David Casey of CVS Caremark: What does the Top 50 really mean? It gives you a data point. It gives you a data set. It’s one thing to go into your board or to your CEO and say, “X percent of our workforce is people of color or women, and we’ve spent this much on supplier diversity,” but unless you give them an anchor and some kind of relative sense of what that means, it doesn’t work, and that’s what DiversityInc provides.

Jim Norman of Kraft: I know there could be criticism around any survey, and people get confused about why they’re doing it or why they would be involved. We have strategic plans. They’re about creating a better organization. The survey, then, is a tool for me to mark progress against a journey I’m already committed to. It holds me accountable. It’s a very usable tool. It asks questions that are critical to driving the kind of deep, sustainable organization change that I need to drive.

• The survey forces companies to track important data and understand how the results affect diversity management

Raymond Arroyo of Aetna: The survey asks the questions in a very, very specific way that every single time requires us to look at the data in a very sophisticated way. I love the stuff about human capital because it’s something that we should be doing ourselves anyway.

David Casey of CVS Caremark: Before the DiversityInc Top 50, there were not a lot of robust, true surveys or measurement tools for diversity management. There was just a lot of affirmative action and EEO recognitions and awards. DiversityInc’s Top 50 is by far the most robust analysis of what a company does in diversity management.

About the DiversityInc Top 50

The survey measures four key areas of diversity management: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity. Participation is free, and companies that do business with DiversityInc have no advantage. Each company that completes the survey receives a free report card assessing its diversity-management performance overall and in those four areas.

For background on the history of the DiversityInc Top 50, click here. For more information on our upcoming diversity-management event, click here.

Note: Since this article was written, Raymond has taken a new role as the head of Alternative Distribution, Aetna.

The post Diversity Management: Top 3 Reasons to Participate in the DiversityInc Top 50 appeared first on DiversityInc.

In this 90-minute Veterans in the Workplace webinar, moderated by DiversityInc Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Barbara Frankel, David Casey, vice president of workforce strategies and chief diversity officer at CVS Caremark and former vice president of workplace culture and chief diversity officer at WellPoint, and Margaret Downey, military and diversity recruiting at CSX Corporation, discuss the benefits of hiring veterans and the best practices that keep these workers engaged.

While veterans only make up about 7 percent of the total population (approximately 11 million people), according to the U.S. Census Bureau, they are more educated than the general public. Ninety percent have a high-school diploma, compared with 84 percent of the general public.

Casey, who served in the Marine Corps for eight years and was a part of Operation Desert Storm, says an aptitude for education and learning is just one of the many skills veterans can offer. He notes inspirational leadership, enhanced camaraderie/teamwork, adaptability, a balanced perspective and a strong work ethic and drive to complete assigned tasks.

What’s important, says Casey, is that companies help veterans transfer these skills and experiences to a corporate setting. Without support and recruiters educated in military life/terminology, it can be a challenge to recruit and retain veterans. (For more, read Recruitment Tips: Where to Find Veterans.)

One company well versed in hiring veterans is CSX: 1 in 5 employees currently serves or has served in the armed forces. Downey says the company has outlined a targeted military-recruiting strategy that aligns with its other diversity-recruiting strategies.

“Ultimately this pool has the potential to increase company profits and productivity,” Downey explains. (Watch CSX’s Susan Hamilton discuss the company’s corporate recruiting strategies below.)

Casey and Downey detail during the webinar a variety of recruiting and workplace best practices. These include:

• Using recruiters who are military experts who know where to look for candidates
• Starting a military or veteran resource group to provide support to employees and provide leads to new talent
• Providing a structured environment with clear communications/responsibilities so veterans can thrive
• Offering flexibility and support for veterans with disabilities such as hearing loss, hypertension and post-traumatic stress disorder
• Making up differences in pay/salary for active-duty and veteran employees, and keeping their families and spouses in mind

Additionally, special training for managers and coworkers could help make others aware of how to be more culturally competent with veterans.

Read Veterans in the Workplace: How to Help Them Succeed for more best practices.

The post Veterans in the Workplace: Help Them Make the Transition appeared first on DiversityInc.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2011 unemployment rate of young male veterans (ages 18–24) who served in the second Gulf War was high at 29.1 percent, compared with young male non-veterans at 17.6 percent. The overall 2011 unemployment rate of all workers was 8.9 percent.

The key to successfully transitioning veterans from military life to the civilian workforce: mentoring through both corporate programs and resource groups, said a DiversityInc panel of corporate and military experts in Veterans in the Workplace: How to Help Them Succeed.

Roundtable participants included:

• David Casey, currently vice president for workforce strategies and chief diversity officer at CVS Caremark (formerly at WellPoint) and a former U.S. Marine
• Susan Hamilton, assistant vice president, diversity, and chief diversity officer for CSX
• Chris Collier, director, talent acquisition for Southern Company, formerly in the U.S. Army
• Capt. Tony Barnes, director of operations, Navy Recruiting Command
• Vice Admiral Gerry Hoewing (retired), president and CEO, Naval Aviation Museum Foundation*

*Could not be present for roundtable, answered questions in separate conversation with DiversityInc

Also present from DiversityInc were Luke Visconti, CEO and a former naval aviator, and Barbara Frankel, senior vice president and executive editor.

“In the military, we lead people and we manage resources and equipment. And that’s not necessarily the vernacular used on the civilian side. We need to chill out and understand the corporate culture before aggressively taking charge,” said Capt. Barnes.

He emphasized that many veterans prefer a structured, disciplined work environment and are disappointed when they go to certain companies.

Other factors such as pay and compensation, consistent on-boarding and training in management skills should also be taken into consideration. Providing assistance for post-traumatic stress disorder and other disorders is important too, as discussed by Merck & Co.’s Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Deborah Dagit at another DiversityInc event (watch the video below).

Read Veterans in the Workplace: How to Help Them Succeed for more insights and best practices on hiring and developing veterans.

The post How to Help Veterans Transition to the Civilian Workforce appeared first on DiversityInc.

The program, which aims to prevent disease through early detection, grew from CVS/pharmacy’s highly successful To Your Health/A Su Salud campaigns. This year, Project Health will offer an array of free comprehensive health risk assessments and screenings during five disease-specific national health awareness months from American Heart Month (February) to Diabetes Awareness Month (November). Over 1,000 Project Health events are scheduled for 2012 in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Events are also planned at CVS/pharmacy locations in Puerto Rico.

“We know that for a variety of reasons multicultural populations have difficulty accessing and benefitting from preventive care,” said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, CVS Caremark. “Making this issue even more disconcerting, these same patients disproportionately suffer from certain treatable conditions, like high blood pressure and diabetes. Through Project Health, CVS/pharmacy will work to achieve better health outcomes among multicultural populations and is once again making the commitment to helping people on their path to better health.”

Project Health is a part of efforts by CVS/pharmacy to improve access to preventive care and ensure that cost is not a barrier to important services, like professional health assessments and screenings. Project Health events, while offered to address and raise awareness of ethnic health disparities, are open to everyone and will not require an appointment.

Medical personnel will be on hand to provide diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol and osteoporosis screenings, and examine patients for oral care issues.  Referrals for mammograms and pap smears will also be provided as well as consultations with nurse practitioners and CVS pharmacists. A selection of screenings will be available at each event.

Once screened, CVS/pharmacy will help patients through on-site consultations with bi-lingual (Spanish/English) nurse practitioners who will analyze the results and refer patients to no-cost or low-cost medical facilities within that neighborhood or to their primary care physician should additional follow-up be required.

In 2011, CVS/pharmacy provided free and low-cost medical screenings and services valued at $150 per person through the To Your Health/A Su Salud programs.  Over 162,000 people were screened during last year’s events, underscoring the demand for these important services. Of the individuals screened, many health concerns were discovered, including:

• 57 percent had at least one abnormal screening result
• 48 percent had at least one abnormal risk factor for heart disease
• 42 percent had risk factors for osteoporosis 
• 27 percent had abnormal glucose readings

The Project Health events will be held at designated CVS/pharmacy locations on weekdays only from 3 – 7 pm daily with no appointment necessary during American Heart Month (February), National Minority Health Month (April), Immunization Awareness Month (August), Dental Hygiene Awareness Month (October) and Diabetes Awareness Month (November). For more information, and a full calendar of Project Health events, please go to www.cvs.com/projecthealth or call 1-800-SHOP-CVS.

CVS Caremark is committed to serving people from all walks of life, diverse cultures and lifestyles within the markets in which we operate. As part of these efforts, CVS/pharmacy conducts Project Health in multicultural communities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, stocks stores with a product assortment that appeals to diverse cultural groups, provides in-language signage where appropriate and distributes prescription medication related information in multiple languages. 

About CVS/pharmacy

CVS/pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), is America’s leading retail pharmacy with more than 7,300 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drug stores. CVS/pharmacy is reinventing pharmacy to help people on their path to better health by providing the most accessible and personalized expertise, both in its stores and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS Caremark is available at http://info.cvscaremark.com.

The post CVS/pharmacy’s “Project Health” Will Deliver More Than $21 Million Worth of Preventive Health Screening Events Across the U.S. in 2012 appeared first on DiversityInc.

Not only has CVS Caremark won a veteran diversity leader, the 210,000-employee drugstore and pharmacy-benefits-management company gained a veteran U.S. Marine Corps service member who served in Operation Desert Storm. Like other military personnel, Casey brings valuable resources, including time-management skills, technical acumen, adaptability and the ability to make level-headed decisions under crisis.

“Having driven through a mine field not knowing if I’d make it out alive,” he says, “some of the things we tend to take as insurmountable challenges in our lives don’t seem so problematic.” That experience has served Casey well throughout his career, which included serving as vice president of workplace culture and chief diversity officer at WellPoint.

Now at CVS Caremark, Casey says he’s excited about “being able to come in and help a company not start from scratch but take diversity management to the next level.” To accomplish this, he has been collaborating with colleagues over the past several months to develop a strategic plan that includes improving workforce representation, creating a corporate-wide culture of inclusion and expanding outreach efforts to all constituency groups, such as active-duty and veteran service members. For example, employees have begun collecting DVDs and CDs to send to overseas troops, and Casey has a “personal stake” in helping to launch CVS Caremark’s first veteran resource group shortly, of which he will serve as executive sponsor.

“We’re also going to spend a lot of time this year communicating and getting conceptual clarity of diversity management,” says Casey.

The post CVS Caremark’s David Casey: Transferring Valuable Skills appeared first on DiversityInc.