Cassandra Johnson, Architect and Director of Construction
University Hospitals’ commitment to diversity is evident in the inclusion efforts undertaken during Vision 2010. By expecting UH suppliers to take ownership of inclusion in order to participate in Vision 2010, the hospital was able to achieve the majority of its diversity goals.
Cassandra Johnson, architect and director of construction, revealed that UH focused on “creatively bringing people together” through strategic match making while developing areas for inclusion that were not apparent at first. They also had the expectation that subcontractors compete at a higher level and rise to the occasion, which resulted in those suppliers having a “full seat at the table” while gaining first-hand experience in the highly specialized field of hospital construction.
Johnson says that the first- and second-tier suppliers “grew up together” and notes that the relationships that were established during construction will be beneficial for the first-tier vendor companies wishing to participate in future projects in the region that also have diversity goals.