Built in Boston, designed for scale
Boston’s healthcare and technology ecosystem is unlike any other.
World-class hospitals, universities, biotech firms, and research institutions operate side by side, creating an environment where medicine, data, and engineering naturally intersect.
CVS Health has grown alongside this ecosystem. Its proximity to academic research, clinical innovation, and enterprise technology has shaped how it approaches digital transformation, with a focus on evidence, governance, and real-world impact.
Data as the backbone of AI in healthcare
As CVS expanded into insurance, clinical services, and digital health, it built one of the most complex healthcare data environments in the world.
This includes:
- Electronic health records.
- Pharmacy and prescription data.
- Insurance claims.
- Imaging and diagnostics.
- Remote monitoring and device data.
Turning all of this into meaningful insight requires more than clever algorithms. It requires structure, standards, and a lot of behind-the-scenes engineering that rarely makes headlines.
CVS’s approach reflects a growing industry reality: AI only works when the data underneath it is trustworthy, connected, and well managed.
Andrew Lovell
From siloed systems to connected intelligence
Like many large healthcare organizations, CVS has inherited systems built over decades.
Some are excellent. Some are… well, experienced, shall we say…
In response, CVS has focused on creating more unified and interoperable data environments. This allows information to move securely and efficiently across clinical, operational, and analytical systems.
The result supports:
- Faster clinical decision-making.
- More personalized care.
- Better population health insights.
- Stronger compliance and auditability.
It also reflects Boston’s tradition of collaboration, where engineers, clinicians, and researchers work together to solve practical problems.
Infrastructure as a strategic advantage
For CVS, modern healthcare AI is not just about deploying new models. It is about redesigning how data flows across the organization.
This includes:
- Adopting interoperability standards such as FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources).
- Moving toward real-time and event-driven pipelines.
- Replacing static batch processing with continuous data streams.
- Embedding governance into system design.
By treating infrastructure as a strategic asset rather than a technical afterthought, CVS is building systems that can scale, adapt, and stay reliable over time.
Not flashy, but very effective.
Continuing inspiration from the Boston ecosystem
CVS’s evolution mirrors the strengths of the Boston tech and life sciences community.
These include:
- A commitment to scientific rigor.
- Strong public and private partnerships.
- Close ties between academia and industry.
- A focus on long-term impact.
These influences continue to shape how CVS approaches innovation today, from precision medicine to digital care delivery and AI-driven operations.
As healthcare becomes more data-driven, this ecosystem mindset may prove to be one of CVS’s greatest advantages.
AIAI
AI Builders Summit: Healthcare on March 25
Don’t miss their session with Takeda and AstraZeneca on Data infrastructure for healthcare AI at AI Builders Summit: Healthcare on March 25.
Why this is a must-attend session
This session is essential for healthcare, data, and digital leaders building AI at enterprise scale.
Learn how CVS Health, alongside Takeda and AstraZeneca, is treating data infrastructure as a strategic foundation for healthcare AI, not just a technical requirement.
You’ll gain practical insight into how leading organizations are:
- Connecting fragmented systems, from EHRs and claims to imaging and device data.
- Moving from batch processing to real-time, interoperable platforms using standards like FHIR.
- Scaling AI responsibly with strong governance, privacy, and security.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see how CVS Health is combining its Boston innovation roots with modern data architecture to deliver practical, trusted healthcare AI.
