Karen Lynch is pushing CVS Health to expand its mission. What changes are coming in 2024?

Name: Karen Lynch

Age: 59

Hometown: Ware, Massachusetts

Position: President and chief executive officer, CVS Health

Being CEO of the largest U.S. corporation run by a woman is reason enough to keep your eye on Karen S. Lynch.

But the head of Woonsocket-based CVS Health has her eyes set on reshaping much of the U.S. health care industry, which could mean changes for everyone in Rhode Island and beyond.

Lynch took the helm at 300,000-employee CVS in the middle of the pandemic and led the company as it administered COVID vaccines at its pharmacies and at 40,000 long-term-care facilities.

CVS started small in 1963 as a health and beauty product company, grew into a pharmacy that would one day have more than 9,000 stores, and then diversified, expanding its reach in the health care industry. It added in-store clinics when it acquired Minnesota-based MinuteClinic and a pharmacy benefits management operation when it acquired Tennessee-based Caremark. Then, in 2018, it branched into health insurance when it acquired insurer Aetna.

After Lynch became CEO in 2021, CVS continued to expand its footprint in the industry, this year acquiring Signify Health, which brings clinicians into the home, and Oak Street Health, a network of primary-care providers focusing on older adults with Medicare.

"We have made real, meaningful progress over the last year advancing our vision for health care. We acquired two companies focused on putting patients first," Lynch said. "This is yet another example of how we are building a world of health around the people we serve, connecting experiences that lead to better health."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Karen Lynch, CVS CEO, is expanding the reach RI based health care giant