Ochsner Health recognizes its role within and impact upon the communities it serves, which includes supporting diverse and small businesses that also serve the region.  Building a healthier region to live and thrive in is not just about providing excellent care to our patients, but also ensuring that we are excellent partners with the numerous suppliers who help us achieve our standard of care.  As part of Ochsner’s Healthy State 2030 initiative, we have developed an Equity in the Chain program, aimed towards increasing business with local small and diverse business suppliers.

Ochsner’s Equity in the Chain program supports its Healthy State 2030 initiative by bringing resources into underserved, urban and rural communities, and utilizing technology and innovation to improve outcomes.  Increasing access to healthcare and improving health equity and health outcomes cannot be done within Ochsner’s network of hospitals and clinics or among its patients alone, but at the root – within its region, locally, at the community level – well before an individual becomes an Ochsner patient.

By utilizing local and small business suppliers, dollars spent within Ochsner’s regional communities continues to circulate within those communities.  Small and diverse businesses that become and remain profitable by doing business with Ochsner can employ and provide healthcare access to more individuals who live within these communities.  In turn, these individuals can then afford higher nutritional foods, use the healthcare to which they now have access, and care for themselves better overall.  All this leads to healthier individuals, healthier employees, and healthier communities, thus contributing to a Healthy State by 2030.