HAN member Kaiser Permanente is partnering with Project Equity and Obran Cooperative to educate Kaiser’s supply chain vendors about, and support their transitioning to, an employee ownership model. Hawaii-based Courier Corporation, a transportation and delivery company with 153 employees, is the first company making the switch. This project represents an important innovation in how health systems can leverage their influence through their supply chain differently to build community wealth.
From the Becker’s Hospital Review article:
“As a large organization in our communities, we have an opportunity to drive wealth and health,” Ije-enu N. Udeze Nwosu, executive director of Kaiser Permanente’s impact spending program, said in an April 26 post on the health system’s website. “By focusing on our vast supplier network and using our significant purchasing power to encourage and support employee-owned businesses, we can address economic, racial, and environmental inequities and contribute to the success and resilience of our communities.”
See also: Fierce Healthcare article on Kaiser’s Business Resiliency through Employee Ownership program