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WASHINGTON – URAC, the nation’s most comprehensive independent accrediting body, announced Tuesday that CVS Health is the first organization to earn its Health Equity Accreditation, recognizing CVS Caremark and CVS Specialty for creating solutions to address inequities in health outcomes. By garnering this accreditation, CVS Health demonstrates its commitment to advancing high-quality, equitable care for people — particularly those from underserved communities — by integrating health equity principles across its products and services.
URAC developed its Health Equity Accreditation in collaboration with the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) and launched it in the fall of 2023 to support health care organizations with identifying and reducing health disparities. The accreditation’s framework focuses on promoting integration of health equity principles, supporting industry-wide initiatives to eliminate health disparities and ensuring high-quality care for high-risk racial and ethnic populations, as well as people with disabilities.
Through this rigorous accreditation process, CVS Health conveys its ability to meet these critical standards, reinforcing its role as a leader in advancing health equity.
“Integrating health equity principles into care delivery and management processes is essential to providing accessible, high-quality care that meets the needs of all individuals in our communities,” said Dr. Shawn Griffin, president and CEO of URAC. “As the first organization to pursue and earn this accreditation, CVS Health shows dedication to building a more equitable health care system.”
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief health equity officer at CVS Health, shared, "This achievement validates our commitment to embed health equity into every aspect of our operations to drive meaningful change. One way we are doing this is through data measurement—evaluating the populations at highest risk for poor health outcomes and tailoring health care solutions that are not only effective but culturally relevant and accessible. This includes addressing cost barriers and expanding care in underserved areas."
Dr. Michelle Gourdine, chief medical officer of CVS Caremark, highlighted specific tools used to advance this mission: “Our proprietary Pharmacoequity tool merges pharmacy data with public health insights to tailor impactful interventions for our clients and their members. Additionally, CVS Specialty’s Social Determinants of Health dashboard enables us to connect people to essential services, such as transportation and meal delivery. These tools effectively demonstrate the unique ability we have in helping our clients balance clinical quality, care and cost to support better health among their member populations.”
In addition to evaluating efforts to improve health equity within specific lines of business, URAC’s equitable workforce practice requirements encourage organizations such as CVS Health to assess their workforce diversity efforts, focusing on building a workforce that reflects the communities they serve and training employees on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. CVS Health plans to continue developing initiatives that prioritize equitable access to care, foster inclusive environments and address the unique needs of various populations.
To ensure the highest standard of equity while developing its accreditation, URAC collaborated with a Health Equity Council comprised of 25 organizations, including the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, American Public Health Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. This collaborative effort ensures that the accreditation standards reflect the latest best practices and offer meaningful, achievable benchmarks for organizations dedicated to advancing health equity.
