Healthcare Anchor Network
Join a growing national collaboration of 70+ leading healthcare systems building more inclusive and sustainable local economies
You can’t create equitable health outcomes for America’s communities without tackling the underlying economic and racial disparities that drive them—the structural determinants of health. Healthcare Anchor Network members are committed to making sure their institutional and operational resources are aligned with their clinical mission.
It is undeniable: Racism is a public health crisis
40 health systems in 45 states and Washington, DC have committed to addressing racism and the public health disparities caused by racism. “As members and leaders of many healthcare organizations across the nation addressing the disproportionate Black and Brown mortality of the COVID-19 pandemic, we say without hesitation that Black Lives Matter.”
“Systemic racism results in generational trauma and poverty, while also unquestionably causing higher rates of illness and death in Black and Indigenous communities and communities of color. We must double down on our efforts. We stand united as frontline organizations against racism, injustice and inaction and commit to specific steps to help overcome the healthcare disparities in the communities we serve.”
Join the Healthcare Anchor Network to…
With 70+ health systems (and counting) represented in the Network, we bring together anchor institutions from across the country that together employ more than 2 million people, purchase $100 billion annually, and have $200 billion in investment assets.
The Healthcare Anchor Network spotlighted in the New York Times
Featured News: When a Steady Paycheck Is Good Medicine
The New York Times traces the genesis of the Healthcare Anchor Network model for anchor institution engagement with the democratic economy from its origins in Cleveland with the Evergreen Cooperatives. It follows this thread through the creation of the Healthcare Anchor Network, which brings together hospitals and health systems in an increasingly impactful collaboration to align the nonprofit healthcare sector as a whole with what we have called the “anchor mission.”
The latest news from the field
National Workforce Development Month
September is National Workforce Development Month and we want to take the opportunity to recognize Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN) members’ commitment to provide access, opportunity, and targeted outreach to ensure that no one is left out of the economic potential of healthcare and other roles. HAN member systems are helping residents from low-income communities, often people of color, who face challenges…
HAN member systems & Community Wealth Building
Dr. Geoffrey Gusoff with HAN member UCLA Health co-authored with HAN and Gery W. Ryan a just-released study on healthcare partnerships with community wealth building (CWB) organizations. The article includes mostly HAN member system initiatives with community land trusts, resident-owned communities, and worker cooperatives. These are key CWB strategies because they allow for local residents to gain ownership and control over their housing…
Continue Reading HAN member systems & Community Wealth Building
Mentoring & supporting local, disadvantaged businesses
HAN members Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals have a joint six-month mentorship program called the Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) Supplier Accelerator and have announced the finalists for the initiative. After completion of the program the business owners will receive a cash prize, business coaching, and networking opportunities. From the WKYC article: The aim of the program is to “expand the knowledge and…
Continue Reading Mentoring & supporting local, disadvantaged businesses
Investing in farmers & small food businesses
HAN member Hawai‘i Pacific Health partnered with Kamehameha Schools to make over $1 million in joint place-based investments in Feed the Hunger Fund, a community development financial institution (CDFI), that provides loans and technical assistance to small food businesses in Hawai‘i. The investment includes helping small farms in Hawaiʻi— where 80% of farmers make less than $25,000—with $260,000 in loans…
Continue Reading Investing in farmers & small food businesses
Hospital and Health System Members of the Healthcare Anchor Network include:
Affiliate Members in the Healthcare Anchor Network include:
“An anchor mission means sustainably investing in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, addressing not just health disparities, but economic and racial inequities as well.”
–– David Zuckerman, President & Founder of the Healthcare Anchor Network
