WOONSOCKET, R.I., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) today announced that it earned a place on DiversityInc's 2017 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list for the first time after several years of working its way up on the 25 Noteworthy list. CVS Health's #50 ranking was announced last night at DiversityInc's keystone event in New York.

"We know from experience that diversity makes CVS Health a better company, and we are very proud of this extraordinary achievement," said CVS Health President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Merlo. "As a company reinventing health care, we are strongly committed to promoting a diverse workforce and inclusive culture, both of which are keys to producing innovative solutions that improve patient care and health care delivery and sustains top performance for our customers, colleagues and shareholders."

CVS Health moved onto the Top 50 Companies for Diversity list this year due in large part to a greater focus on diverse supplier spending which surpassed $1 billion in 2016. Additionally, the company significantly outperformed in recruiting at the management level for African Americans, Hispanics and women, compared to top 10 DiversityInc companies, and increased colleague participation in the company's Employee Resource Groups by 20 percent, both of which contributed to CVS Health's diversity profile.

"Diversity and inclusion aren't stand-alone objectives inside our company ? they are part of everything we do in fulfilling our purpose of helping people on their path to better health," said David Casey, Vice President, Workforce Development and Chief Diversity Officer, CVS Health. "We are committed to striving every day to sustain a workplace in which every colleague feels valued, respected and appreciated, and is able to reach his or her full potential."

The DiversityInc Top 50 list, issued yearly since 2001, recognizes the nation's top companies for diversity and inclusion management. These companies excel in such areas as hiring, retaining and promoting women, minorities, people with disabilities, LGBT and veterans. DiversityInc's extensive annual survey yields an empirically driven ranking based on recruitment, talent development, senior leadership commitment and supplier diversity. This year's competition was improved by new survey questions, increased emphasis on fairness over chasing numbers and more sophisticated analysis from DiversityInc's data scientists.

This recognition is the latest in a series of third-party acknowledgments, including CVS Health being ranked #45 on Fortune's Most Admired Companies in 2017, #3 on Fast Company's® 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2016 and among the World's Most Valuable Brands by Forbes®. The company also received awards recognizing its innovation, leadership, and workplace practices by the Billion Dollar Roundtable (supplier diversity spending), CIO (100 Best Companies for IT Innovation), Corporate Responsibility Magazine® (100 Best Corporate Citizens), Human Rights Campaign® (Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality) and Disability Equality Index (Best Places to Work).

To learn more about CVS Health's diversity and inclusion efforts, visit https://www.cvshealth.com/ /diversity. To view the entire Top 50 list, visit http://www.diversityinc.com/top50.

About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its nearly 9,700 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 90 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.

Media Contact
Joe Goode, 401-770-9820
Joseph.Goode@CVSHealth.com

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SOURCE CVS Health