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Hospitals catalyzing economic opportunity

Hospitals catalyzing economic opportunity

bpham · Apr 29, 2024 ·

Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN) member systems BJC Healthcare and SSM Health in St. Louis, MO and anchor collaborative West Side United in Chicago, IL have helped to bring place-based economic development and jobs to their cities. 

BJC Healthcare and SSM Health formed a joint venture, St. Louis Healthcare Support Services, LLC , to build and operate a regional laundry facility that will better meet the health systems’ needs and will clean 35 million pounds of the health systems’ linens each year. Initially, the joint venture will look to hire 80 community members from underserved areas for these good paying jobs with benefits.

From the Fierce Healthcare article:

“We often say ‘good healthcare starts with a job,’” [Tom] Hervieux, [BJC’s vice president and chief supply officer], said, “and creating economic development in the community and reinvesting with our purchasing and hiring dollars really make St. Louis and our larger community a better place to be.”

“Because being that we’re anchored here, and we live here, we want to continue to be good stewards and good neighbors,” said [Michael Gray, System Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, SSM Health].

read the fierce healthcare article now

West Side United (WSU) is an anchor collaborative on Chicago’s west side whose members include HAN members Rush University Medical Center, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and Ascension. WSU is partnering with several organizations in Chicago, including the Steans Family Foundation, to establish Fillmore Linen Service, a local healthcare laundry linen service entity for hospitals to shift their business to and as a model to create meaningful local jobs.

Fillmore Linen Service will create 175+ living-wage jobs with advancing skill levels for rising incomes. The linen laundry will handle 62 million pounds of laundry annually. As the Employer and Community Engagement lead for the Fillmore Economic Development initiative, WSU will provide strategic direction and operational oversight, providing long-term recruitment and retention planning for North Lawndale and surrounding West Side communities in partnership with Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN), and others.

From the Steans Family Foundation article:

After a completion period, the Fillmore Center will be placed into a Community Benefit Trust by the Steans Family Foundation. This will allow local residents to share in and control profits from the building. Residents will determine how profits are invested using a digital and democratic decision-making platform.

Read the chicago tribune article now

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