40 Under 40 - 2024

Dr. Daniel Knecht describes himself as a physician first. Patients—and providing them with better access to care—are the motivating factor in his work at CVS Caremark, he said.

“Whether it be building new products, talking to clients [or] solving problems in the company, I bring that firsthand experience as a physician,” Knecht said. “I witness all the challenges of how healthcare is delivered today as a physician, and that really inspires me to … build programs that meet patients where they are.”

Knecht’s team creates tools for patients with diabetes, obesity and other cardiovascular diseases to help manage their chronic conditions. One example is a weight management program that integrates pharmacy services, lifestyle coaching and care delivery. Later this year, his team plans to launch an alert system to warn CVS’ most vulnerable patients about heat waves and poor air quality. He also works to boost adoption of lower-cost biosimilars through Cordavis.

Knecht, who joined CVS in 2016, noted the fragmented and reactive nature of healthcare. But he said opportunities exist to reverse that by using big data—and CVS’ national scale—to deliver better care options for patients.

In addition to CVS, Knecht is an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai Health System in New York and he also works as a hospitalist on the weekends. He supports philanthropic efforts as a foundation board member for the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy.

—Caroline Hudson