At Centene, we recognize that it takes focus to maintain a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. To accomplish this, we partner with a number of organizations that bring unique expertise and networks that accelerate our growth through exposure to diverse talent.
Some of our long-standing partnerships include:
National Urban League
The National Urban League (NUL) is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities throughout America.
Key collaborations between the NUL, Centene and our state health plans have resulted in a number of initiatives that address critical needs in urban centers across the U.S. In addition, as a longtime sponsor of the NUL Annual Conference and the Career and Networking Fair, we have been able to recruit top talent for several positions at our health plans and corporate offices. Locally, Centene partnered with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis to open a Community Empowerment Center in Ferguson, Missouri, three years after the fatal shooting death of Michael Brown Jr. and the riots that forever changed the small community.
Reaching Out MBA
Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) is an organization that serves lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) MBA students and graduates by educating, inspiring, and connecting members to leading corporate employers. Centene has partnered with Reaching Out MBA to recruit top-level talent to its MBA internship program. Centene also works with ROMBA to inform alumni of employment opportunities at corporate offices and subsidiaries.
The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management
The mission of The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an alliance of leading American business schools and some of our country's top corporations, is to enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping reduce the serious underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both the member schools' enrollments and the ranks of management.
Centene offers a robust summer intern program that allows students to apply theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom and gain on-the-job experience. The summer intern program offers a paid 12-week full-time opportunity to learn new skills and provide value to a meaningful project in a team environment.
Starkloff Disability Institute
The Starkloff Disability Institute (SDI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities participate fully and equally in all aspects of society. Through its Next Big Step Program, SDI is focusing primarily on helping people with disabilities overcome the institutional obstacles that exist in our workplaces. SDI connects with employers to help them evolve their workspaces into accessible environments and helps potential employees with disabilities connect with employers.
The late Max Starkloff, a leader of the powerful disability rights movement and founder of Paraquad, Inc., was recruited by Centene to help structure and then lead the Centene National Disability Advisory Council (CNDAC). Today, the CNDAC provides expertise and a strategic vision resulting in the implementation of best practices, which enhance Centene's policies related to disability matters, both as an employer and as a managed care service provider.
National Hispanic Medical Association
For two decades, the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) has worked to empower Hispanic physicians to improve the health of underserved communities. The organization collaborates with Hispanic state medical societies, residents and medical students, as well as other public and private sector partners. NHMA serves as a resource to the White House, Congress and federal agencies and works to develop leaders through professional networking.
Centene's partnership with the NHMA is focused on improving the quality of care for the Hispanic community and other communities of color. The partnership also aims to increase access and utilize Centene's position on the NHMA Advisory Council to address critical issues in the area of workforce strategies and development.
As part of this partnership, Centene collaborates with NHMA to provide health services and information to visitors at free community health fairs and events across the country.