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 |