Megan Remark is the leader of one of America’s most successful hospitals and – not by coincidence – a cooperative collaborator who is not preoccupied with who gets the credit for success.  In this episode, Remark explains why the murder of George Floyd has had a more significant impact on her and her organization than COVID-19 – and how her hospital is approaching the hard work of dismantling racism.  

Remark’s success in leading her organization comes from a willingness to pursue health care on the patient’s terms, and an understanding that the key determinants of health lie outside the walls of the clinic or hospital – in the community.  She is a leader of the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership, a collaboration of colleges and hospitals – ‘Eds and Meds’ – that is pursuing equity and shared prosperity through hiring more local residents, spending procurement dollars on more local businesses, and promoting transit with students and employees.  

As you will hear, this partnership has moved hundreds of college students, mostly black, indigenous or other people of color, into part-time employment in their fields of study, boosting their income and moving them on a pathway to permanent employment in health care.  These Eds and Meds have also committed to buying more of the produce for their food service operations from local immigrant growers, and are figuring out how to deliver their collective group purchasing power to local small businesses.  

As Remark notes, none of these achievements are something that just one college or hospital would be able to accomplish alone.  

More about Megan Remark: https://www.healthpartners.com/about/leadership/megan-remark/ 

More about the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership:  https://www.centralcorridoranchorpartnership.org/