CVS Health Corporation announced the opening of a new workforce development and community resource center designed to help the Baton Rouge community overcome employment barriers and increase access to local health care services. Located at 5353 Essen Lane, the facility includes a Workforce Innovation & Talent Center (WITC), which offers comprehensive career skills training and job placement that includes a CVS Pharmacy® mock store, simulated pharmacy environment and authentic, hands-on externships at local CVS Pharmacy locations. It also includes a new Community Resource Center (CRC) supported by Aetna Better Health of Louisiana, a CVS Health company.

The CRC provides the public, Aetna Medicaid members and workforce program participants onsite health needs assessments and education, help with navigating their health benefits, access to computers and teleconferencing, CPR and first aid training and connections to a local network of care providers. Staffed with a dedicated team of career skills trainers and care navigators from CVS Health, Aetna and workforce community organizations, the combination WITC/CRC marks the first time the company has co-located these critical community resources, bridging the gap between career training and health services that help overcome impediments to stable employment.