WOONSOCKET, R.I.— Jill Colpitts, a nurse practitioner at the MinuteClinic on East Cleveland Road in Granger, IN, was one of the winners of the 2022 Paragon Award from CVS Health. The Paragon Award is one of the highest honors a CVS colleague can receive and is reserved for those with exemplary commitment to the company’s values.

A MinuteClinic employee since 2013, Colpitts was recognized for her outstanding work ethic and tireless dedication to both her job and community. Working in one of the busiest clinics in Indiana, Colpitts served the highest volume of patients in the entire company nationwide in 2021. She also frequently commits to working additional hours to ensure patients receive proper care. During the onset of the pandemic, she worked an additional 520 hours in point-of-care testing (POCT).

In 2021, Colpitts lost her entire home and possessions in a house fire. She cares about her patients so much that she did not miss a single day of work, despite the loss and reconstruction of her house. Even on her lunch break, Colpitts prioritizes serving her community, and played a key role in saving the life of an individual who needed medical attention in the CVS store parking lot.

Additionally, Colpitts is a trusted resource among staff. As a senior clinician in her region, she offers operational and clinical support to providers on her team, keeping them informed on policies, protocols and guidelines—which she can repeat verbatim from memory.

Paragon Award recipients are chosen for their commitment to company values and for their dedication to fulfilling CVS Health’s purpose: bringing our heart to every moment of your health. At the same time, they have demonstrated their ability to deliver outstanding business results, lead their teams to excellence, and make substantial contributions to the communities where they live and work. They are considered role models for the entire company.

“Jill goes above and beyond as a skilled, knowledgeable and professional provider,” said Senior Practice Manager for MinuteClinic Shantelle Burress. She has been instrumental in delivering high-quality care in our clinic and mentoring her team. Jill never fails to lead with passion and professionalism, whether that’s with patients or colleagues.”

Each year, CVS Health honors nine national Paragon Award winners from its thousands of store managers, pharmacists, nurse practitioners and pharmacy benefits management employees. The winners were nominated by their supervisors and eventually voted on by CVS Health’s senior leaders. The 2022 Retail Paragon Award winners were recognized and celebrated during CVS Pharmacy’s annual Retail Leadership Experience in Orlando on August 3.

Other winners included:

Kristen Molinari-Zivkovic, Store Manager at the CVS Pharmacy on West Main Street in East Islip, N.Y. Molinari-Zivkovic has been a colleague of CVS Pharmacy for nearly a decade, serving in leadership roles in several Long Island-area stores. She is known for treating her colleagues, customers and patients like family. Whether dropping off orders to a customer’s home or merchandising her store to ensure the products her customers want and need are easily accessible, Molinari-Zivkovic consistently delivers top-notch customer service.

Somtochukwu (Somto) Orakwue, Pharmacy Manager at the CVS Pharmacy on Edwin Miller Boulevard in Martinsburg, WV. Orakwue has been a CVS pharmacist for more than six years. During his time with the company, he has established himself as a trusted leader who is committed to ensuring that his patients get the medications they need, when they need them. He regularly goes above and beyond to help his patients, whether it involves driving to another CVS Pharmacy to get medication his pharmacy may be out of, delivering medications directly to his patients’ homes, or finding them ways to save money on their prescription costs.

Hardik Thakkar, Pharmacy Manager at the CVS Pharmacy on South Busse Road in Mount Prospect, Ill. A graduate of the University of Chicago Pharmacy school, Thakkar joined CVS Health in 2015. Originally from India, Thakkar’s interest in pharmacy started while caring for his mother with diabetes. As a Pharmacy Manager, Thakkar not only leads by example with his patient care skills, he’s also responsible for the leadership of his colleagues, constantly teaching and sharing his knowledge with his team.David Haering, Store Manager at the CVS Pharmacy on N. Highway 190 in Covington, was awarded a 2022 Paragon Award from CVS Health. The annual Paragon Awards recognize the best of the best among CVS Health’s colleagues and are among the highest honors awarded by the company.

Donna Traefald, Store Manager at the CVS Pharmacy on Pilot Knob Road in Farmington, MN. Traefald has been with CVS Pharmacy and leading the Farmington store since 2016. She leads her team with the same care and support she uses in her personal life as a mother and grandmother. Her passion for helping others is further demonstrated by her decades-long work with the Twin Cities foster system, having fostered more than 100 children. She has also adopted nine children and remarkably three continue her legacy of working with CVS Pharmacy.

Anthony Bell, Store Manager at the CVS Pharmacy on Seco Canyon Road in Santa Clarita, Calif. Not only does Bell lead his CVS Pharmacy team in talent development and growing sales, but he also worked hard to become a licensed pharmacy technician, having recently completed his training. He works collaboratively with his pharmacy partners to create an optimal experience for all customers and patients. Bell consistently lives company values and encourages his team to do so as well. He always supports new supervisors and cashiers by challenging them to bring their personal best to work and follows a “one team” approach when it comes to front store and pharmacy, ensuring that all colleagues are working to provide a positive experience for customers and patients.

David Haering, Store Manager at the CVS Pharmacy on N. Highway 190 in Covington, IN. A longtime CVS Health colleague with more than 20 years’ experience, Haering is known for leading and mentoring dozens of CVS Pharmacy colleagues. He not only leads his own store by helping his team provide exemplary service but is often asked for advice and guidance to help other stores in the area improve service as well.

Kaitlyn Pouliot, Pharmacy Manager at the CVS Pharmacy on Reservoir Avenue in Cranston, R.I. A CVS Pharmacy employee since 2013, Pouliot was recognized for her ability to unify her team and for being a trusted leader. Her store is a CVS HealthHUB, which provides expanded health and wellness products and services, and she has been instrumental in ensuring that the store’s Care Concierge team is well-informed about the array of pharmacy and health services the store offers the community and are able to provide advice and counsel to patients.