Newswise — Many more health systems are joining the national #MaskUp campaign encouraging Americans to stop the spread of COVID-19 by following safety guidelines. Over just a few days, another 19 health systems with hundreds of hospitals united with 100 health systems nationwide with hospitals numbering in the thousands. 

The public service campaign is critical to the health and well-being of all Americans. It is a plea from healthcare professionals everywhere: wear a mask and follow other precautions to save lives and help get our country back on its feet. 

One of the public service video messages showing healthcare heroes makes the voices of those caring for our patients clear: 

“You’ve called us heroes. But heroes don’t deserve this. We’ve fought hard to protect our      communities. Month after month. Our shields are worn. Our resolve is being tested.

Yet we press on. Because we truly want to see this pandemic end. We put our lives on the line daily to keep you safe. So, do something for us. Wear. A. Mask.” 

With the holidays upon us, it is crucial that everyone take precautions to slow the surging pandemic, including wearing masks and limiting contact with people who do not live in your home. 

As some of the most trusted hospitals in the nation we know that continuing to take precautionary measures is tough. Here’s what we also know: The science has not changed. Masks slow the spread of COVID-19. Diligently washing our hands stops its transmission. And staying 6 feet apart from those we don’t live with makes it harder for the disease to spread too. 

The number of positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths is increasing rapidly. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12.3 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 – including 1.2 million in just the past week – leading to 75,000 hospitalizations and 257,000 deaths, as of Nov. 24. 

If current trends continue, hospital leaders are increasingly concerned healthcare facilities will be overwhelmed as shortages of healthy caregivers make it difficult to handle a rapidly increasing number of patients. Unfortunately, this is already happening in parts of our country.

The CDC points to recent studies that have shown facemasks successfully limit spread of the COVID-19 virus, protecting those who wear them as well as those nearby. 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.

The next several months will be critical. Though there’s been positive news about vaccine development, widespread distribution is months away. Everyone must remain vigilant, take precautions, and follow public health orders. The country has reached a tipping point. The power to do what is right is in the hands of everyone everywhere.

To reach a broader audience, the campaign also includes messages on television, digital platforms, social media, online information, links to vital health resources and more. Regional health systems and hospitals in many communities across the nation are combining resources, demonstrating they are working together to get through this together.

Visit everymaskup.com to learn more about the campaign.

Here are the 119 health systems representing thousands of hospitals with the newest systems first followed by all those supporting the campaign.

 

Advocate Aurora Health

Atlantic Health System

Beebe Healthcare

Centura Health

Cone Health

El Camino Health

HonorHealth

John Muir Health

Lurie Children’s

Main Line Health

MarinHealth

Moffitt Cancer Center

Piedmont Healthcare

Spectrum Health

Tufts Medical Center

University of Maryland Medical System

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Washington Hospital Healthcare System

WellSpan Health

AdventHealth

Adventist Health

Advocate Aurora Health

Allegheny Health Network

Atlantic Health System

Atrium Health

Avera Health

Banner Health

Baptist Health Northeast Florida

Baylor Scott & White Health

Baystate Health

Beebe Healthcare

BJC HealthCare

Bon Secours Mercy Health

Boston Children's Hospital

Cedars-Sinai

Centura Health

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Children's Hospital of Orange County

Children's National Hospital

ChristianaCare

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

City of Hope

Cleveland Clinic

CommonSpirit Health

Community Health Systems

Cone Health

Cooper University Health Care

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health

Duke Health

El Camino Health

Emory Healthcare

Geisinger

Hackensack Meridian Health

HCA Healthcare

HonorHealth

Inspira Health

Intermountain Healthcare

Jefferson Health

John Muir Health

Johns Hopkins Medicine

Kaiser Permanente

Keck Medicine of USC

LifePoint Health

Lurie Children’s

Main Line Health

MarinHealth

Mass General Brigham

Mayo Clinic

MedStar Health

Memorial Hermann

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

MemorialCare (Southern California)

Mercy

Michigan Medicine

Moffitt Cancer Center

Mount Sinai Health System

 

National Jewish Health

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Nebraska Medicine

Nemours Children's Health System

NewYork-Presbyterian

Northwell Health

Northwestern Medicine

Norton Healthcare

Ochsner Health

OhioHealth

Oregon Health & Science University

OSF HealthCare

OU Health

PeaceHealth

Penn Medicine

Penn State Health

Piedmont Healthcare

Providence

Renown Health

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Rush University System for Health

RWJ Barnabas Health

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

SCL Health

Scripps Health

Sharp HealthCare

Southwestern Health Resources

Spectrum Health

SSM Health

St. Elizabeth Healthcare

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Luke's Hospital (St. Louis)

Stanford Health Care

Sutter Health

Temple Health

Texas Health Resources

The Christ Hospital Health Network

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

ThedaCare

TriHealth (Cincinnati)

Trinity Health

Tufts Medical Center

UC Davis Health

UCHealth

UC Health CINCINNATI

UC San Diego Health

UChicago Medicine

UCI Health

UCLA Health

UCSF Health

UNC Health

University of California Health

University Hospitals (Cleveland)

University of Iowa Health Care

University of Maryland Medical System

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Virtua Health

Washington Hospital Healthcare System

WellSpan Health

About us: www.everymaskup.com  is a collaboration of 116 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 cometogether to send messages like these of prevention and safety, hope and healing, care and caring. 

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