Corporate Spotlight – Grady Health System

Grady hospital was founded in 1892, the vision of Atlanta Constitution newspaper editor Henry Grady, who was concerned about the lack of quality health care for the city’s low-income families. Launched with only 110 beds, Grady has grown into one of the largest public health systems in the United States, renowned over the world for its pioneering work in the treatment of trauma, stroke, burns, orthopedics, cancer and everyday ailments. Mr. Grady nevertheless had a heart for the people of Atlanta that facilitated what is now among the top trauma hospitals anywhere. A powerful ad campaign featuring testimonials from people whose lives were saved by Grady’s excellent staff said it best…Atlanta Can’t Live Without Grady.

Grady Hospital was the only major medical facility that would treat African Americans in Atlanta for more than 60 years, and today the term ‘Grady Baby’ is a source of pride and a badge of honor worn by locals who were born there. A prolific teaching hospital affiliated with the Emory University School of Medicine for more than 100 years and with the Morehouse School of Medicine since its founding, Grady is home to some 3,000 physicians who see more than 700,000 patients every year. The American College of Surgeons recently named Grady’s Marcus Trauma Center Atlanta’s only Verified Level 1 Trauma Center, a distinction earned by only a small percentage of the nation’s hospitals and indicative of the highest standards of care in the industry.

Grady’s commitment to providing quality, comprehensive healthcare in a compassionate, culturally competent, ethical and fiscally responsible manner serves as the foundation of the system’s approach to procurement, as well. Crystal King, the Director of Supplier Diversity and Equity at Grady, is dedicated to seeing that the Grady supply chain is every bit as diverse as the patients served by the system. “We want to be a world-class supplier diversity leader, with programs and outreach that are representative of the standard of excellence our system is known for,” says King. “Inclusion and equity have been the norm at Grady since its founding more than 120 years ago. We must honor that legacy in the way we go about our day-to-day business and in our procurement practices. The pursuit of excellence and equity are foundational to the inclusive Grady culture.”

Grady Health System is in hot pursuit of excellence in Supplier Diversity, as well. Not only is Grady a dedicated and committed partner to the GMSDC, it is a consistent leader in spend performance. Already topping 21%, Grady’s diverse spend grew by more than $20 million from 2019 to 2020. Even in the year of the pandemic, the supplier diversity team at Grady found ways to enlarge the tent and do business with more diverse suppliers. Crystal King, who took over the department in 2019 and is a former Buyer of the Year winner in her previous role at Georgia Power, was named the GMSDC’s Advocate of the Year at the 2020 Spirit of Alliance Awards. Grady’s Beverly Brown was also honored as the Buyer of the Year – IT at last year’s SOA. Grady has plans to expand its supplier diversity programming in 2022 with a new initiative that will focus on economic inclusion.

In addition to its commitment to care for the indigent, the uninsured and the underinsured, Grady is a selfless and engaged community partner, supplying volunteers in support of non-profits, charities and communities all over the region. The Grady Health Foundation helps to support the system’s commitment to serve everyone, regardless of background or financial capability. The system is also involved in projects and initiatives that are not specifically medical in nature, but beneficial to the constituents at Grady, their families and their communities. The GMSDC is proud of its affiliation with

such a special organization and looks forward to continued growth and mutual accomplishment via this ongoing partnership. For more information about Supplier Diversity at Grady, visit the Grady website.