Winston-Salem Pharmacy Manager receives CVS Health recognition

James Rider, Pharmacy Manager at the CVS Pharmacy on Robinhood Road in Winston-Salem, was awarded a 2024 National 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.

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.

Rider began his decades-long career with CVS Pharmacy in 1983 and is a well-respected member of the Winston-Salem area pharmacy team. He is a proven leader who trained and guided many new pharmacists and pharmacy technicians over the course of his career. Rider always puts his patients first and is passionate about the importance of immunizations. He vaccinates thousands of patients in Winston-Salem each year, helping ensure his patients, their families and their community are protected from common illnesses.

Rider goes above and beyond to meet the needs of his patients. In December 2023, he helped locate a flu anti-viral medication for a hundred patients at a local nursing facility that was experiencing a flu outbreak. Rider called multiple CVS Pharmacy locations in the area and was able to secure the medication needed to help protect the nursing home’s most vulnerable patients.

“James is a dedicated patient advocate who has been committed to delivering top-notch pharmacy care for over 40 years,” said James Hyatte, Pharmacy District Leader for CVS Pharmacy. “He always puts his patients first and is a role model for fellow team members not only at his pharmacy, but also others in our district. James truly lives our Heart at Work behaviors in everything he does at CVS Pharmacy.”

Every year, CVS Health honors 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 2024 Retail Paragon Award winners are being recognized in October as part of the company’s American Pharmacist Month and National Customer Service Week activities.