Article

Vizient Employees Directly Impact a Culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

New model strengthens employee inclusion and belonging; enhances business processes; and ensures attracting, hiring and retaining the best possible talent

Company

February 27, 2023

Kayla Green, Vizient

When Monica Davy, senior vice president and chief culture, diversity & inclusion officer, joined Vizient, she not only built a team to further Vizient's new diversity initiatives but also challenged her team to rethink the Diversity Networking Associations (DNAs). She and her team wanted these groups to go beyond hosting events and find ways to further incorporate the DNAs into the Vizient fold where they could make a significant and lasting impact at the company.

Using a deliberate play on words and a callout to Vizient's commitment to healthcare, the DNAs operate under the 4C Model, which is already inspiring innovation here at the company.

"We're not just a group of people who get together to meet," said Lionel Carter, manager, analytics and chair of Veterans@Vizient. "We influence the business on the commerce side and were recently able to foster a relationship with a veteran-owned business, and now we have a contract with them. That was something that we weren't able to do before."

Using the new model, Vizient's six DNAs are empowered to strategically support and influence the areas of culture, career, commerce and community. The DNAs include Ability@Vizient, Black@Vizient, Dimensions@Vizient, Pride@Vizient, Veterans@Vizient and Women@Vizient, with two more expected to launch soon for the Latinx and Asian American, Pacific Islander and Desi American (APIDA) communities.

Three of the DNAs, Veterans@Vizient, Women@Vizient and Dimensions@Vizient, started in 2017, organically gathering for speaker events, lunches and meetings. Eventually, each became an official employee resource group, leading the way for future groups, and ultimately, what would become the Vizient DNAs.

The 4C model

The 4C Model provides a way to organize DNA work to help ensure it will have the most strategic impact on our employees, the business, our members and the community. It also allows DNAs to measure their current health, impact and effectiveness.

"We wanted the DNAs to more directly align with our overarching diversity and inclusion efforts," said Brenda Kitchen, senior director, diversity & inclusion. "Under this new model, the DNAs offer us an opportunity to develop people who are committed to learning and growing into leaders."

Each DNA has a chair or co-chairs alongside roles in Culture, Community, Commerce and Career as well as an events coordinator, chapter liaisons, executive sponsor and a network champion. Both roles are filled by top-level Vizient leadership who provide support and guidance as well as help expand the strength and visibility of the DNA. It also ensures the DNAs are included in, and at the forefront of, company initiatives and goals.

Since becoming involved with Ability@Vizient, my understanding of physical disability, mental illness and neurodiversity in the workplace has deepened considerably. There is much to accomplish to create a safe and inclusive space where individuals can be their authentic self. I am incredibly proud to help make this happen.

Julie Blaszak, Senior Director, Creative Services

Co-chair, Ability@Vizient

Being part of a DNA allows us to maneuver and impact our employees and our communities in a more effective manner. From an internal perspective, Career and Commerce, it allows us to improve our membership and impact Vizient financially. From a hybrid perspective, Culture and Community, allow us to impact Vizient's current and future culture as well as our external culture and community. We focus on serving our veteran community in a number of ways, i.e. volunteering and providing assistance. We are excited about 2023, and the impact that Veterans@Vizient will have.

Lionel Carter, Manager, Analytics

Chair, Veterans@Vizient

Even if you don't identify with a particular DNA, we encourage you to considering joining one anyway. We need support, we need allies, we need people to be ambassadors to help share who we are and what we're doing and help us promote lasting cultural change.

Michael DeSimone, Director, Strategic Sourcing Partnerships & Programs

Chair, Pride@Vizient

The DNAs play a huge part in the work that my team and I do around supply chain, diversity, equity and inclusion. Not only do the DNAs influence the purchases that are made, but they are oftentimes responsible for them because they work with diverse businesses from the same backgrounds and cultures the DNAs represent. The commerce role allows us to have a very clear alignment between the business goals and the DNAs.

Shaleta Dunn, VP, Member Diversity & Community Initiatives

Chair, Black@Vizient

The work that we do within our individual DNA groups and collectively impacts beyond just Vizient. We are changing perspectives, biases and values for the better. This outcome is like a ripple effect on a great pond. For every small pebble of innovation we throw into that pond, the growth and change is reflected in our communities, with our members and most importantly in our country and is pertains to doing what is right and equitable for all.

Mia Harvey, Senior Operations & Quality Executive

Former Co-chair, Black@Vizient

As a volunteer, as a professional development lead and now stepping into the co-chair role, I have had access to stretch opportunities in terms of leadership, public speaking, project management, networking across various business units and meeting facilitation. Tapping into my personal passion for diversity, equity and inclusion for all and finding a platform to get more involved in this mission has helped me create meaningful connections across our company. While this is a volunteer role and requires you to go above and beyond, it is exhilarating when you see that you have inspired the spark in others.

Albana Mansoor, Senior Consultant

Co-chair, Dimensions@Vizient

Vizient's DNAs, and particularly the Pride@Vizient DNA, is so important. Having a place for LGBTQ+ people and their allies to learn and grow is critical. The DNAs allow for a conduit for DEI work and workplace policies to be broadly discussed and implemented in a fashion that is fair and equitable for all, and not just let a small subset of staff to build these policies in a vacuum.

Jeff Mayefske, Manager, Product Delivery

Co-chair, Pride@Vizient

Transitioning to the new model allowed us to laser focus on specific topics that we needed to address as a DNA, which was critical in taking what we had as a strategic plan to the next level. It created a model that we can use for any event, and for any conversation and interaction with employees and other DNAs.

Brian Skeats, Lead Analyst

Chair, Ability@Vizient

Being a leader for Veterans@Vizient allows me to provide support to fellow veterans and to help our Vizient community better understand veteran issues, both in and out of the military. I believe that's what makes DNAs the most impactful - they help our community better comprehend others' views, perspectives and backgrounds that they may not have experienced themselves.

James Tran, Senior Portfolio Executive

Co-chair, Veterans@Vizient

This new model helps us define the parts of the business and how we align. It gives us metrics and measurements to show the value we're bringing to the organization and provides us the opportunity to collaborate with other DNA groups.

Anne Trieste, Senior Director, Contract Administration & Eligibility Services

Former Chair, Women@Vizient

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Kayla Green, Vizient

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