A new partnership between leading business, communications, and public health organizations was launched Feb. 17 to improve health in communities nationwide. The de Beaumont Foundation is proud to be a founding partner, along with the Ad Council, Business Roundtable, the CDC Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The alliance is powered by Meteorite, an impact firm that builds coalitions to improve lives and strengthen communities.
Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, MA, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, said, “The economic losses experienced by so many during COVID-19 underscore the indelible link between business and public health. The business community’s leadership is critical not only to ending the pandemic, but also to bolstering the U.S. public health system. With a strong public health infrastructure, we can better identify and prevent future threats to our health and maintain our nation’s safety, security and economic prosperity.”
Fortune 500 companies employ more than 28 million people, and small businesses employ nearly 60 million people in the United States. Recent research from Morning Consult shows that 71% of Americans trust their employer to make the right decision about when it’s safe to return to the office. HAA will empower a network of businesses of all shapes and sizes to improve the health of employees and communities by promoting COVID-19 prevention and vaccine education and strengthen public health infrastructure to be better prepared in the future. The alliance will also work to advance health equity by addressing the needs of disproportionately affected communities.
Specific resources available to the network will include:
- Tools to guide the development of COVID-19 vaccination policies and programs to educate workers about vaccines, encourage vaccine acceptance and reduce barriers to vaccination.
- Research-backed messaging, briefing materials and communications tools to strengthen employee and consumer outreach.
- Virtual events and training opportunities with health experts, scientists and communication professionals.
- Best practice public service campaigns and tested messages for key audiences.
- Dedicated tools and guidance for engaging and supporting communities of color and other groups that may have unique concerns or questions about vaccines.
- Resources and training opportunities for employee resource groups, communications teams, content creators and human resource professionals.
- Networking opportunities to share best business practices and lessons learned across the network.
For more information, visit healthaction.org.