Connecticut Hospital Association
The second CHA Supplier Diversity Forum was held on June 23 at the Aqua Turf.
The Forum consisted of three educational sessions followed by a Supplier Diversity Vendor Fair,
Beyond the Business Case for Minority Supplier Development was presented by Fred McKinney, PhD. The presentation included the history of minority business development with a special focus on healthcare. The business case for minority business development represents the latest phase of the movement to increase access and opportunities for minority business enterprises. The presentation also illustrated how successful corporations have leveraged MBE development to
achieve strategic goals and objectives. Most importantly attendees were provided with practical advice on how to efficiently build a sustainable and effective minority business development program.
Fred McKinney, PhD, is President and CEO of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council
(www.gnemsdc.org). Dr. McKinney holds a PhD in economics from Yale University and before joining the GNEMSDC
in 2001, he was a full-time faculty member at the University of Connecticut School of Business where he taught statistics,
economics, finance, and healthcare economics.
Pamela Scagliarini discussed the Yale New Haven Health System Supplier Diversity Program including the guiding principles, metrics, and key factors in garnering organizational support. She also delineated the roles of the supply chain, senior leadership, department decision makers, and the diversity supplier in a successful process.
Pamela Scagliarini, Vice President, Supply Chain Management at Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS), oversees
the Supply Chain for Yale-New Haven Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Northeast Medical Group,
Westerly Hospital, and Bristol Hospital. Supply Chain Management includes strategic sourcing (Contracting and
Procurement Operations), corporate supply chain analytics, structure of the system-wide value analysis committee, and
the site-specific operations of materials management, linen, and forms. Her responsibilities include setting the strategic
direction for the supply chain, ensuring deployment of these strategies across multiple campuses, and maintaining
relationships with the supplier community, Group Purchasing Organizations, affiliated entities, and other industry groups.
Making the Most of Supplier Diversity Programs: A Legal Perspective was presented by Attorney Jennifer Cox. This
session was an layperson friendly overview of the key legal points that are important for contracting successfully with MBEs and WBEs,
including a discussion of hospital and health industry issues that may not be familiar to various suppliers. Strategies for
encouraging relationships with a diverse set of firms and vendors—without getting stuck in your own red tape (but also
not giving up any critical contractual protections)—was also explained.
Jennifer Cox is a founding member of Cox & Osowiecki, LLC, a Hartford law firm representing healthcare institutions
and providers in regulatory, litigation, licensing, and business matters. Her areas of practice include regulatory and
corporate compliance, bylaws and professional rights, health information technology, liability and risk management,
contract issues and professional ethics for all levels of providers including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, residential
care facilities, trade associations (for both institutions and physicians), specialty and general physician practices,
pharmacies, pharmacy benefits managers, tribal healthcare services, and individual practitioners.
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Dr. Fred Mckinney's Presentation
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