DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. has named Cheryl Pegus as chief medical officer, which the company said is a newly created position.

Pegus, 46, comes to Walgreens from SymCare Personalized Health Solutions, where she served as general manager and chief medical officer, the drug store chain said Tuesday. SymCare provides care management solutions that use remote monitoring as a way to help control health care costs and make consumer engagement simpler and more rewarding, according to Walgreens.

As the senior medical executive for Walgreens, Pegus will focus on driving clinical outcomes that improve patient lives, provide value and offer a platform for future innovation and growth, the company said. She reports to Hal Rosenbluth, senior vice president at Walgreens and president of the Walgreens Health and Wellness division.

"We’re very excited to appoint Cheryl to lead Walgreens effort in clinical outcomes," Rosenbluth said in a statement. "Her depth of experience in analytics and research, clinical product development and chronic care management will help position Walgreens to deliver high-quality, accessible and low-cost innovative care solutions to payors, employers and consumers. That includes the potential for new diagnostic screenings and other point-of-care services at pharmacies, retail clinics and work-site health centers that can develop an ongoing relationship between patients and Walgreens."

Pegus has more than 18 years of clinical practice and industry experience. Before joining SymCare in 2007, she was the head of clinical products for Aetna’s Medical Products business unit, responsible for developing, prioritizing and articulating the company’s clinical product strategy, according to Walgreens. Former positions at Aetna include national medical director, clinical program development/design and marketing for Aetna’s Member Advantage programs, and national medical director for women’s health.

From 1996 to 2001, Pegus was medical director for the Cardiovascular Risk Factors Group at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in New York. She is a board member of the Founder’s Affiliate of the American Heart Association, the dean’s circle at Weill Cornell Medical College and the editorial advisory board of Disease Management Advisor.

Pegus is a board-certified physician with subspecialty training in cardiology. She received an M.P.H. from the Columbia University School of Public Health and an M.D. from Cornell University Medical College. She completed her internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship at New York Hospital-Cornell.