On September 28, the University of California (UC) held the inaugural UC Systemwide Anchor Institution Mission Summit. Anchor institutions seek to promote economic equity and address social drivers of health and health equity through hiring, purchasing and community investment.  

The summit included an overview of the Anchor Institution Mission (AIM), opening remarks from Rachel Nava, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the UC Office of the President, and a keynote from Dave Zuckerman, president and founder of the Healthcare Anchor Network. Panel discussions included the UC AIM journey, procurement, community investment and workforce development. The session concluded with remarks from Dr. Talmadge King Jr., MD, interim executive vice president, UC Health. 

Addressing the participants, Dr. King said: “Your collaborative efforts underscore the collective power of the University of California to impact not just what our patients need, but what our communities need as well.” 

Key takeaways from the summit included:     

• Participants understand that establishing the anchor institution mission is the right thing for UC to do on a systemwide basis. 
• The anchor mission aligns with the practice of UC as land-grant institutions and with the current work of the UC Office of the President.    
• Anchor institutions can use this transformational strategy to impact to improve the health and well-being of underserved communities, enabling us to move resources into communities and to partner with communities beyond the tenure of current faculty, staff and learners.   

Some panelists were asked about why their institutions were participating in AIM. “It’s the right thing to do,” said Dr. Howard Pinderhughes, PhD professor, director of Sociology Program Department of Social and Behavioral Science at UCSF. “And it’s really the only way we have the actual possibility of having an impact on the social determinants of health, which impact communities of color and highly impacted communities across the Bay Area and across the state.” 

If you attended the summit, the UC Anchor Institution Mission Summit Planning team would like your feedback. Please complete a short survey to inform and improve upcoming events. If you missed the event, watch the recording here. 

For additional questions or if you would like to connect with us, please send an email to [email protected].