How Premier promotes social responsibility
Consistent with our core purpose, “To improve the health of communities,” Premier is committed to social responsibility. Our efforts in this area include:
- Annual Employee Values Conference at which all employees discuss and re-energize Premier’s core values. The conference includes a Volunteer Day that sends hundreds of Premier employees into the Charlotte community to work with social service organizations.
- Voluntary adoption of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act’s applicable corporate governance standards, although not legally required for organizations such as Premier.
- Code of Conduct that provides detailed safeguards to protect the integrity of the group contracting process.
- Leadership of an industry-wide ethics initiative, the Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative, which requires participants to implement a Code of Conduct and publicly disclose the details of their compliance with that code.
- Implementation of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria, which include guidelines for social responsibility, ethical leadership, workforce diversity and sustainability.
- A Safety Institute that serves as the leading source of information in healthcare on safety and environmental issues. The Institute’s Safety Share newsletter has more than 40,000 subscribers.
- A Supplier Diversity Initiative that supports the growth of small and minority-owned businesses through integration into Premier’s contracting efforts; programs for both hospitals and larger suppliers; and an awards program. Premier has nearly 300 small and minority suppliers on contract.
- Annual Cares Award that identifies non-profit initiatives across the nation doing exemplary work in improving the health of underserved communities.
- Development of Leading Healthy Communities Web site with the Wye River Group on Healthcare to spotlight community-based healthcare initiatives and to assist in replicating best practice programs.
- An Environmentally Preferred Purchasing program that identifies environmentally preferable products and provides information on ways to reduce environmental impact. In recognition of our leadership in this area, Premier has received the Champions for Change award from Hospitals for a Healthy Environment four years in a row.
- A broad social responsibility program guided by employees, through which Premier and employees support an array of worthwhile charitable and educational causes through financial contributions and active volunteer work.