Hospital members: Register now by contacting Karen Ochoa, [email protected], or on site at the conference.
Communities Lifting Communities and HASC are excited to invite you to the third annual Inclusive Purchasing in Health Care Conference. The event is set for Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello.
This unique event brings together regional hospitals, clinics, diverse vendors and economic development partners to advance inclusive procurement and build a stronger, more equitable health care supply chain. With the theme From Commitment to Impact, the conference will explore what meaningful impact looks like as we share strategies and strengthen partnerships that move the work forward.
We’re excited to welcome keynote speaker Baljeet Sangha, chair, Department of Health Care Access and Innovation (HCAI) Hospital Diversity Commission. Staff from HCAI’s Hospital Diversity Reporting Program will be on site to meet with hospitals and answer questions about the July 1 report submission.
Agenda
8:30 – 9 a.m.
Breakfast and Registration
9 – 9:25 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
LaRae Bechmann, Executive Director, Communities Lifting Communities
Andrew Kwok, Associate Director, Supply Chain, Diversity, Cedars-Sinai Health System
Audrey Chang, Supply Chain Administration, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Keynote: Reimagining Procurement for Systemic Change and Sustainability
Baljeet Sangha, Commission Chair, Hospital Diversity Commission, Department of Health Care Access and Innovation; CEO, Pain and Rehabilitative Consultants Medical Group
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Embedding Impact Purchasing Across the Enterprise
Ernie Flores, Supplier Development Manager, Kaiser Permanente
11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
State of the Hospitals
George Greene, President/CEO, HASC
12 – 12:30 p.m.
Impact Purchasing Award
Robert Burgos, Chief Executive Officer, Calidad Medical
12:30 – 1:50 p.m.
Lunch and Networking
2 – 3 p.m.
Breakout Sessions
- Financing Readiness: Unlocking Capital for Diverse Supplier Growth for Businesses (VENDOR TRACK)
- Inside the Contracting Process: What Buyers Want Vendors to Understand (VENDOR TRACK)
- Shaping the Future: Policy, Partnerships, and Prosperity in California Health Care Procurement (HOSPITAL TRACK)
Moderator: Andrew Kwok, Cedars-Sinai
Hospital Supplier Diversity Committee Panelists: Chico Manning, PIH Health; Scott Wilkerson, University of California; Donald Jones, Chief Growth Officer, Next Street
3:15 – 3:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks and Networking Bingo Winner
For any questions or to register for the conference, contact Karen Ochoa, [email protected]. We can’t wait to see you there as we continue building collective impact across Southern California.