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Supplier Diversity Summit Builds Partnerships with Minority and Women-Owned Businesses

May 05, 2022

Hartford HealthCare’s mission is to improve the health and healing of the people and communities it serves, and building healthy communities requires economic opportunity in addition to top-notch medical care.

That’s why HHC is committed to forging partnerships with diverse suppliers who do business and create jobs in the communities where our hospitals and health centers provide care.

Last fiscal year, Hartford HealthCare increased its spending with minority, small-business and women-owned suppliers to $69 million – a 21 percent increase. This year it will increase again to $75 million, said Chibueze Okey Agba, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Hartford HealthCare.

On May 4, HHC hosted its second Supplier Diversity Summit, attracting 26 minority-owned businesses to Bridgeport with the goal of providing new, mutually beneficial opportunities for suppliers and the system.

“Equity was an important part of the original founding of St. Vincent’s Medical Center 118 years ago,” said Bill Jennings, President of Hartford HealthCare’s Fairfield Region which includes St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport. “Our hospital, our patients, our medical staff, our trainees and our colleagues are so diverse and reflect the communities we serve. We are also committed to ensuring that our business partnerships reflect this diversity and are always looking for ways to build new partnerships.”

The first supplier diversity summit, which was held in Hartford last summer, resulted in contracts with several minority-owned businesses.

One of those suppliers is Alisa Bowens-Mercado, the owner of Rhythm Roasting Company, a minority, women-owned coffee supplier. She attended the summit last year and had the opportunity to meet with Hartford HealthCare leaders and executives.

“Within six months, our company received a multi-year contract with distribution support, and secured our first purchase order,” she said. “Many say it takes a village to raise a child, it is also true in business.”

Hartford HealthCare President and CEO Jeffrey Flaks spoke about the vision of the healthcare system and its commitment to transforming healthcare in Connecticut and beyond.

“Hartford HealthCare is built to drive accessibility, affordability, quality, excellence and equity,” Flaks said. “How are we going to do that? We have to dramatically disrupt ourselves. We are looking for business partners who can help us disrupt what we presently do and who can help us innovate.”

Suppliers at the event had the opportunity to meet with several Hartford HealthCare executives, as well as leaders from supply chain management.

“We need our economic partners to look like the communities that we serve,” said Sarah Lewis, Vice President, Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. “We need our workforce to look like the communities that we serve. It is one of the ways that we can be successful.”