BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Former WellPoint Inc. executive Dijuana Lewis has been named senior vice president of health care solutions at Walmart U.S.

She will drive overall growth and profitability for the retailer’s health and wellness business, overseeing the development of innovative products and services for, and in collaboration with, payers. Her team will be responsible for expanding Walmart’s pharmacy and optical contract programs, and for reducing the cost of — and expanding access to — health care coverage.

A 16-year veteran of WellPoint, Lewis was most recently president and chief executive officer of the company’s Comprehensive Health Solutions business unit, which includes provider relations, care and disease management, imaging management, information management, and personal health guidance, as well as pharmacy solutions.

Fully integrating capabilities and functions across all lines of business, Comprehensive Health Solutions is focused on the critical issues of medical cost, quality of care and enhancing member value through innovative health programs.

Lewis’ experience in developing such programs and in marketing, product development and provider contracting and relations “will help strengthen Walmart’s position as an everyday low-cost provider of health care solutions,” says Walmart senior vice president of health and wellness John Agwunobi.

Walmart’s prescription drug merchandising, third-party contracting and low-price network teams will report to Lewis. She will report to Agwunobi.

Before heading WellPoint’s health solutions unit, she was president of the company’s Local Group business and was responsible for $31 billion in annual revenue and more than 15 million members — 47% of the company’s total membership.

During her time at WellPoint, Lewis also served as senior vice president for the company’s Connecticut, Maine and New Hampshire markets, responsible for membership growth, marketing and product development, provider contracting and relations, sales, and underwriting. In that role, she oversaw more than $6 billion in premiums and the equivalent for more than 2.6 million customers served by about 3,000 employees.

In October 2007 Lewis was featured on the cover of Fortune magazine, along with WellPoint CEO Angela Braly, for the magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women” issue. The article recognized Lewis’ integral role as Braly’s partner in driving innovation for the company.

In April 2008 Lewis was named as one of the “Top 15 Women in Business” by Pink magazine, and she was profiled in the September 2008 issue of Managed Healthcare Executive as a “Top Leader in Disease Management.”

Prior to joining WellPoint, Lewis worked with one of the nation’s largest national health maintenance organizations for nine years.

She has been in the health care field for more than 20 years, working in all areas of health plans, including provider contracting and servicing, sales and marketing, customer service, claims, utilization management, and quality assurance.