Community Listening & Sharing Engagements Overview

Hennepin Healthcare partnered with Strong and Starlike Consulting, Inc. (Strong & Starlike) to assess its diversity procurement processes and policies in an effort to increase its business inclusion efforts and develop a Supplier Diversity Program. Hennepin Healthcare sought to meaningfully engage the business community and HHS staff to develop a supplier diversity program.

Hennepin Healthcare hosted 6 Community Listening & Sharing Engagements and 6 HHS Department Listening & Sharing Engagements in collaboration with Strong & Starlike between March and May of 2023. Each engagement was intended to: 1) Provide space for business owners and Hennepin Healthcare staff to share honestly and openly, 2) Ensure participants felt valued and heard, and 3) Clearly communicate ways participant input would be used and how they would be kept informed on changes made by Hennepin Healthcare. Business owners received a one time stipend of $50 for attending and staying the full 1-hour for the Community Listening & Sharing Engagement.

Community Shareback Overview

After all the sessions were completed Hennepin Healthcare hosted a Department & Community Shareback on July 13, 2023, to update those engaged on what was shared; what we heard and potential recommendations and steps. The shareback was open to all who participated in the Community Listening & Sharing Engagements or the Department Listening & Sharing Engagements. Business owners received a one time stipend of $50 for attending and staying the full 1.5 -hour for the Department & Community Shareback. 

The video below is a playback highlighting what was shared and heard, and some of the recommendations that were directly informed by the 6 Community Listening & Sharing Engagements and the 6 Department Listening & Sharing Engagements. Final recommendations provided to Hennepin Healthcare were detailed and comprehensive, so in the spirit of an overview the video only touches on a few recommendations per recommended strategy.