Boosting the local economy and providing more jobs for people in the communities we serve is a key focus for Intermountain leaders in 2019. Here are three examples of things Intermountain is doing to buy local instead of spending money out of state:
- The bags every Intermountain caregiver received during Caregiver Appreciation Week were purchased from a Utah outdoor gear company, Cotopaxi, that donates a portion of its profits to fund education, health, and anti-poverty initiatives around the world. Locally, they work with the refugee community to teach job and language skills. Intermountain also contracted with the Columbus Center in Salt Lake City for help sorting and packaging the bags. The Columbus Center provides employment and job training for local individuals with disabilities. “Intermountain is supporting well-being and economic opportunity by working with local suppliers and organizations like Cotopaxi and the Columbus Center,” says John Wright, vice president of the Supply Chain Organization. “We know that purchasing locally positively affects the health of our community.”
Ray and Rob Hibl, founders of Park City Coffee Roaster
- The ready-to-drink coffee sold in all Intermountain hospitals has been provided by Utah-based Park City Coffee Roaster since 2014. “By selecting a local supplier, a positive economic ripple effect has formed,” says Lisa Nichols, assistant vice president of Community Health. “Since partnering with Intermountain, Park City Coffee Roaster has proudly sponsored more than 25 local foundations and organizations.” Park City Roaster also reuses their vacuum-sealed coffee bags and strives to have minimal impact on Utah’s environment. Read more about the Intermountain/Park City Roasters partnership.
- Local and sustainable suppliers interested in supplying products to Intermountain attended a Suppliers Day at the Supply Chain Center. The goal was to help increase new business with local, diverse, and sustainable suppliers to support the health of our local communities. The event helped connect Supply Chain sourcing managers with local business owners, including many food suppliers. Other suppliers included a woman-owned business that supplies anesthesiology masks and parts that are sustainable. The Supply Chain has also added a website to help bring in partners from local, sustainable suppliers.
In 2018, Intermountain joined the Healthcare Anchor Network, a national collaboration of more than 40 leading healthcare systems from across the country focused on building more sustainable local economies. The network’s goal is to improve community health and well-being by leveraging all the health systems’ assets, including hiring, purchasing, and investment. Learn more at healthcareanchor.network.