Los Angeles,
19
November
2020
|
05:00 AM
America/Los_Angeles

Five of Los Angeles' Top Health Systems Join National Effort To Encourage All to #MaskUp

Growing Numbers of COVID-19 Cases and Death are Troubling; Face Masks can Slow the Trend

Contact: 
Rhoda Weiss
310-945-6730

rhoda@rhodaweiss.com

BetterTogether.Health, which formed earlier this year and currently includes five of Los Angeles County's largest nonprofit health systems, has joined 100 of the nation's top health systems, representing thousands of hospitals, in issuing an urgent plea for all Americans to "mask up" because wearing a facemask offers the best chance of slowing the surging COVID-19 pandemic.

BetterTogether.Health, which includes Cedars-Sinai, Dignity Health, Providence, UCLA Health and Keck Medicine of USC, is urging the public to take this simple step that can save lives amid a health crisis that is expected to worsen as winter approaches.

More than 11 million Americans have tested positive for the virus – including an additional 1 million in just the past week – leading to nearly 250,000 deaths.

The current trends are daunting and frightening. If the nation stays on its current course, hospital leaders are increasingly concerned that more healthcare facilities will be overwhelmed as shortages of healthy caregivers make it difficult to handle a rapidly increasing number of patients.This already is happening in parts of our country.

The next several months will be critical. Though there has been positive news about vaccine development, no one knows when the vaccines will be ready for widespread use. In the meantime, everyone must remain vigilant, take precautions and follow public health orders.

Beginning today, a public service message will run in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. Additionally, hospitals and health systems across the country will continue to unite to share these messages regionally.

The message reads:

“As the top nationally ranked hospitals, we know it’s tough that we all need to do our part and keep wearing masks. But, here’s what we also know: The science has not changed. Masks slow the spread of COVID-19. So, please join us as we all embrace this simple ask: Wear. Care. Share with #MaskUp. Together, wearing is caring. And together, we are saving lives.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points to recent studies that have shown facemasks successfully limit spread of the COVID-19 virus. Wearing facemasks protect in two key ways: by protecting the wearer against inhalation of harmful pathogens and particulates and by preventing exposure of those around the wearer.

In addition to masking, the CDC suggests that everyone minimize the number of non-household contacts, maintain a physical distance of at least six feet, and limit the amount of time around others, especially while indoors and in poorly ventilated areas. For further information about masking guidelines – how to choose a mask, how to properly wear a mask – visit the CDC website.

About Us: EveryMaskUp.com is a collaboration of dozens of leading health systems representing thousands of hospitals across the U.S. joining together to create messages for the betterment of communities they serve. The impetus for this, and other public service campaigns to follow, came from a group of health care marketing and communications executives meeting for a decade and reengaged weekly since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The goal is to share knowledge and experience, best practices, strategies and resources- knowing they can accomplish more together. Founded and led by Rhoda Weiss, Ph.D., Los Angeles-based national health care leader and consultant, the expanded coalition is partnering with Cleveland Clinic Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Paul Matsen and his team for this effort. Additionally, hospitals and health systems on a regional basis continue to come together to send messages like these of prevention and safety, hope and healing, life and death, care and caring. 

The following hospitals and health systems are helping to spread this message across the country:

Adventist Health

Intermountain Healthcare

Renown Health

Allegheny Health Network

Jefferson Health

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Atrium Health

Johns Hopkins Medicine

Rush University System for Health

Avera Health

Kaiser Permanente

RWJ Barnabas Health

Banner Health

Keck Medicine of USC

Saint Luke's Health System (Kansas City, MO)

Baptist Health Northeast Florida

LifePoint Health

SCL Health

Baylor Scott & White Health

Mass General Brigham

Scripps Health

Baystate Health

Mayo Clinic

Sharp HealthCare

BJC HealthCare

Memorial Hermann

Southwestern Health Resources

Bon Secours Mercy Health

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

SSM Health

Boston Children's Hospital

MemorialCare (Southern California)

St. Jude's Research Hospital

Cedars-Sinai

Mercy

St. Luke's Hospital (St. Louis)

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Michigan Medicine

Stanford Health Care

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Mount Sinai Health System

Sutter Health

Children's Hospital of Orange County

National Jewish Health

Temple Health

Children's National Hospital

Nationwide Children's Hospital

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

ChristianaCare

Nebraska Medicine

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Nemours Children's Health System

ThedaCare

City of Hope

NewYork-Presbyterian

Trinity Health

Cleveland Clinic

Northwell Health

UC Davis Health

CommonSpirit Health

Northwestern Medicine

UCHealth

Community Health Systems

Norton Healthcare

UC Health (Cincinnati)

Cooper University Health Care

Ochsner Health

UC San Diego Health

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

OhioHealth

UChicago Medicine

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health

Oregon Health & Science University

UCI Health

Duke Health

OSF HealthCare

UCLA Health

Emory Healthcare

OU Health

UCSF Health

Geisinger

PeaceHealth

UNC Health

Hackensack Meridian Health

Penn Medicine

University Hospitals (Cleveland)

HCA Healthcare

Penn State Health

University of Iowa Health Care

Inspira Health

Providence

Virtua Health