THE BUSINESS CASE

Building a Signature Social Impact Program

Signature Social Impact Programs are good for social causes and good for business. In fact, businesses are expanding their social impact initiatives to stay relevant in the recruitment of top tier candidates from the emerging workforce. The return on investment is further compounded by improved retention retention, increased team cohesion, new leadership development opportunities and augmented customer brand loyalty.

The Emerging Workforce Demands It

55%

of millenials mention

cause work in interviews

57%

lower turnover rate through active participation in cause work

89%

of millenials will switch brand due to company relationships to cause

75%

of millenials would take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible company

81%

of employers who volunteer

in the work place see better

team cohesion

78%

of employers say volunteering lowers stress levels

SCA STORY

Story of SCA and One World Surgery

Our Chairman, Andrew Hayek, was CEO of Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA) from 2008 to 2017.

The SCA leadership team focused on building a mission-driven and values-based culture as one of the pillars of their turnaround and growth strategy, which ultimately led to SCA’s acquisition by Optum, a division of UnitedHealth Group.

A key component of building SCA’s culture, was leadership’s commitment to creating a signature social impact program. The team chose to focus on surgical medical missions, which fit SCA’s core business, relationships, capabilities and culture. The program is known today as One World Surgery, which is a 501c3 non-profit organization that operates a dedicated surgery center in Honduras and is constructing a second site in the Dominican Republic. The program has grown substantially since inception, and in 2019 One World Surgery hosted 30 one-week medical mission trips (each with 50-70 physicians, nurses, and other teammates) and employed 25 full-time staff.

The program makes a fundamental difference in the lives of thousands of underserved and underprivileged patients in Honduras and the Dominican Republic and has touched the lives of hundreds of SCA teammates and other volunteers who have participated. SCA’s partnership with One World Surgery has made a significant impact on the development of SCA’s distinctive culture, which drives recruitment, retention, and engagement. The partnership continues to flourish under the leadership of SCA CEO Caitlin Zulla, who serves on the board of One World Surgery, and the extended SCA leadership team. “As a mission- driven organization, our core values at SCA naturally align with the work of One World Surgery,” said Caitlin Zulla, SCA CEO. “We have a unique partnership that allows SCA to expand our footprint globally and offers us the ability to truly see and feel the impact of our care on individual patients. One World Surgery offers SCA a tremendous benefit by providing our teammates a philanthropic purpose to coalesce around.”