Dawn Wells is a supply chain professional passionate about health equity. She holds a Masters of Public Health from Adelphi University and is currently Director of Supply Chain at Northwell Health, New York’s largest healthcare provider, serving NYC, Long Island, and Westchester. In this role, she leads supply chain operations for the Health Systems’ Ambulatory Care Network comprised of more than 830 physician practices and outpatient facilities.
Dawn is also responsible for leading Northwell Health’s Supplier Diversity Program and supporting the organization’s Sustainable Sourcing Initiatives. In her 18-year career at Northwell Health Dawn has been a consistent champion of Diversity, representing Procurement as a member of the Diversity and Health Equity Council and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.
Northwell Health operates in multicultural communities with diverse needs. Therefore, having strong relationships with diverse suppliers supports Northwell Health’s vision and core values. Dawn has been instrumental in forging strong relationships with diverse suppliers which supports Northwell’s commitment to increasing the economic viability of diverse communities in which it serves. She has also helped to create a system Supplier Diversity Policy and charter a Supplier Diversity Council that is charged with creating a cross-functional action plan, ensuring that there is a system-wide commitment to maintaining the diversity of the Health System’s suppliers, putting in place standardized processes for measuring goals and success, and partnering with external agencies to educate and deliver information to diverse suppliers within the communities served.
Under her leadership, Northwell Health’s Supplier Diversity program continues to grow. The Health System has recently committed to maintaining ten percent of spend or more with diverse suppliers. Northwell Health is an active member of the NY/NJ MSDC collaborating annually to host a Healthcare Symposium and assisting member MBE’s whenever possible.