Western Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative
Challenge
Advance Economic Opportunity for Communities of Color
Actions
Formation of Coalition of Top Employers to advance (1) Diverse Procurement, (2) Diverse Hiring & Advancement, (3) Place Based Investment, and (4) Advocacy.
Baystate Health (BH) is an integrated healthcare delivery system located in Western Massachusetts and the region’s largest employer. We are headquartered in Springfield, MA, one of the poorest cities in the state and a majority minority community. Baystate Health is part of the Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN, https://healthcareanchor.network ), a group of over 60 large health systems from across the country dedicated to building more inclusive and sustainable local economies. Using the principles of the HAN, BH worked with the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts with help from a grant from the Aspen Foundation to form the Anchor Collaborative. The group includes city government, local educational institutions and other large employers. All have committed to measurable progress in (1) diverse procurement, (2) diverse hiring and advancement, (3) place-based investment, and (4) advocacy for economic opportunity. The willingness to commit to measurable goals and to hold each other mutually accountable for performance is at the heart of this new networking group.
Outcomes
Formation of Networking group of large employers with shared measurable goals.
Contact
Mark A. Keroack, MD, President & CEO
Health care disparities have at their root a lack of economic opportunity, impacting multiple social factors, which in turn lead to an increased chronic disease burden and poorer health. As large employers, we have an opportunity and an obligation to impact these problems by investing in communities.