NEW YORK — Kathryn Metcalfe has returned to CVS Health to lead communications for the second time.

Named senior VP and chief communications officer, Metcalfe has assumed the same role she held for a year ending in January 2020, when she left the health services company to lead corporate affairs for Bristol Myers Squibb. She left her job with the drug maker less than a year later amid larger changes in BMS’s comms function.

Metcalfe succeeds Kym White, a former Edelman global health chair who joined CVS last April from Vertex Pharmaceuticals. 

"It was a career-defining opportunity to lead the CVS Health communications team through the Covid-19 pandemic and I had an exceptional experience at the company, doing high-impact work with an extremely dedicated team," White said. "CVS Health was central to the nation’s Covid-19 response, and the actions we took related to the pandemic and a variety of social issues during my tenure had a significant and positive impact on all measures of corporate reputation."

Metcalfe’s first tenure as CVS Health’s CCO started in early 2019 following its acquisition of Aetna, where Metcalfe had led comms since 2016. CVS bought Aetna's health insurance business for $69 billion.

“I’m excited to help CVS Health transform the health care system and make it more convenient, simple and affordable for consumers,” Metcalfe said. “CVS Health has played a significant role throughout the pandemic response, with over 15 million tests and 10 million vaccines administered — with more to come. Our unique model and strategy will help us continue to lead the way in improving how health care is delivered across the country.”