As part of its ongoing commitment to social impact and community investment, RWJBarnabas Health has launched an online platform designed to increase opportunities for certified local- and diverse-owned businesses in New Jersey to work directly with RWJBarnabas Health and its facilities. To date, more than 200 eligible businesses have registered.
“As an anchor institution that prioritizes addressing the social determinants of health, our commitment to our patients and neighbors extends beyond traditional care delivery,” said Mark E. Manigan, president, RWJBarnabas Health. “Our health system is one of the largest employers and purchasers in New Jersey, and we are dedicated to investing those dollars back into the communities we serve.”
Local, minority, and women-owned businesses that could potentially meet future service or supply chain demands for RWJBarnabas Health are invited to register at RWJBH.org/BuyLocal. Companies that successfully register to the platform will be listed as RWJBarnabas Health BuyLocal vendors and included in a database of businesses considered for procurement and contracting opportunities within the system. New Jersey based, certified minority owned (MBE), women owned (WBE), small business (SBE), veteran-owned (VOB), disabled veteran-owned (DVOB) and disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) are all eligible to participate.
“Through this new portal, our organization will gain instant access to local and diverse businesses and will be able to contribute to the economic growth of their communities in a very measurable way,” said Paul G. Alexander, MD, MPH, executive vice president and chief health equity and transformation officer, RWJBarnabas Health.
BuyLocal is part of RWJBarnabas Health’s mission to be both physically and financially entrenched in the communities it serves by buying, hiring, and investing locally. The platform is the latest initiative in the system’s Social Impact and Community Investment practice, which aims to drive economic growth in the state by creating business opportunities for certified local and diverse businesses.
The Social Impact and Community Investment team is also committed to providing non-certified diverse businesses with the education and tools they need to become state certified and therefore eligible to participate.
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