CVS Health's Digital Innovation Lab speaks to company mission

When former Staples executive Brian Tilzer joined CVS Health early last year as SVP chief digital officer he was charged with spearheading the company’s digital innovation efforts and connecting current and future digital initiatives. Tilzer hit the ground running and the momentum remains strong as the company is now preparing to open a Digital Innovation Lab in Boston and connect with start-ups to enable the retailiization of healthcare in an area of Boston that has emerged as hot bed of technology and healthcare innovation.



In an interview with BetaBoston.com, Tilzer said that since he has joined the company, CVS Health has, “tripled our investment in digital and multichannel e-commerce,” creating apps for various aspects of its business; testing videoconferencing in some of its Minute Clinics locations; and communicating about prescriptions via text messages. The goal, he told BetaBoston.com, is to create a “seamless experience” whether customers are in-store, online or on their mobile device.



Next on the list: Find partners to help leverage technology/mobile/digitization to enable the retailiization of health care. As initially reported on BetaBoston.com, the new space will be centrally located to the medical community in Longwood and the tech community in Cambridge. Tilzer was quoted as saying that being in Boston “will help us attract additional talent and increase our connectivity to those communities.”



“We can be an ideal learning lab for early-stage companies,” Tilzer told BetaBoston.com.



It is no secret that Boston has emerged a tech hot bed. In fact, a recent article in The Boston Globe discussed this very topic. “These days, tech startups and software companies have shed big-box office parks for high-rises and downtown lofts. They are locating in Cambridge or Boston neighborhoods that are close to the MBTA’s Red Line and within an easy stroll of coffee shops and cafes,” The Boston Globe article stated.



Aside from the prime location, the move to open a Digital Innovation Lab speaks to CVS Health’s mission of leveraging digital technology to put people on the path to better health. Serving as a hub for the company’s digital team, the Digital Innovation Lab will produce the next level of digital technology that will help enhance the customer experience through digital tools.