Episode 048: How CVS Health Turned Menopause Taboo Into a Business Advantage

Menopause doesn’t pause at the office door. It shows up in sleep loss, hot flashes, brain fog, anxiety—and too often, in silence. We wanted to break that pattern. So we sat down with Dr. Joanne Armstrong, VP and Chief Medical Officer for Women’s Health and Genomics, and benefits leader Carmilla Tan to unpack how CVS Health scaled a menopause support strategy across retail stores, call centers, pharmacies, clinics, warehouses, and corporate teams—without losing the human touch.

We talk candidly about the barriers women face: undertrained clinicians, misdiagnosis, stigma, and the time squeeze that pushes care to the bottom of the list. Then we map the fixes. You’ll hear how we trained MinuteClinic clinicians with Menopause Society education, expanded networks with menopause-trained providers, and used data science to proactively connect people to care. We share the playbook for culture change—CRGs like WISE, manager training, peer groups guided by clinicians, and even a simple breathing exercise that makes saying “menopause” feel normal. It’s practical and scalable: comprehensive coverage, over-the-counter credits for symptom relief, robust EAP sessions, and flexible access through retail, virtual, and phone-based care.

This conversation also looks beyond day-to-day symptoms to long-term health. We dig into cardiovascular risk, bone health, mental health, and the habits—sleep, nutrition, movement, community—that set the stage for the next decades. If you’re an employer, you’ll leave with clear steps: assess your women’s health strategy, inventory what you already offer, use a menopause-friendly checklist to spot gaps, and bundle benefits into a simple guide people can actually use. If you’re navigating midlife, you’ll find language, resources, and community to make your journey easier—and more supported.

If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review. Want the checklist or to explore accreditation? Visit midovia.com or menopausefriendlyus.com and let’s build workplaces where women thrive.

With more than 20 years in the field both as a practicing OB-GYN and health policy expert, Dr. Armstrong’s mission is to help solve for women’s health needs through clinical, policy and societal lenses. Dr. Armstrong is vice president and chief medical officer of women’s health and
genomics at CVS Health. She is also associate professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTH).

Carmilla Tan is the head of benefits for CVS Health. In this role,
Carmilla leads strategy, implementation and oversight of the
company’s benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse
needs of more than 300,000 colleagues.

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MiDOViA is dedicated to changing the narrative about menopause by educating, raising awareness & supporting women in this stage of life, both at home and in the workplace. Visit midovia.com to learn more.

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