HERO Member Bright Spots

We commend the numerous companies who are responding in innovative ways to support their local and global communities and want to applaud especially the efforts of our HERO members. Please share with us examples and anecdotes of what your organization and others are doing. Email: Karen.Moseley@hero-health.org

3M: Increasing production. Donating protective equipment and medical supplies. Working with humanitarian aid partners, such as Direct Relief and MAP International.

Aetna & CVS Health: Donating space for drive-through testing.

Bristol Myers Squibb: Donated money and products through the Shanghai Red Cross Society. Supported two relief partner organizations to provide personal protection items to healthcare professionals. Working with partners to ensure quick distribution of medical supplies.

Chevron Corporation: Provided a $300,000 contribution from the Chevron Global Community Fund to Give2Asia, for work with the China Women’s Development Foundation.

Corning Incorporated: Donated lab-tested antivirus coatings to hospitals.

DHL: Supporting employee and customer well-being as top priority while continuing essential business operations.

Garmin: Developed a COVID-19 monitor widget.

Google: Matching donations to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. Funded a team of researchers, epidemiologists, and software developers who are studying trends of public health threats and outbreaks. Launching a fund to support continued learning and small businesses. Supporting public service announcements in more than 15 countries. Collaborating with CA authorities to establish testing sites and an online screening tool.

IBM Watson Health: Donating system expertise to national health agencies to reduce the time/cost of clinical trials. Providing their operational risk tool free of charge to nonprofit organizations.

Johnson & Johnson: Donated protective equipment for healthcare workers in impacted areas. Donated funds to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation. Donated equipment to the Red Cross Society of China for new isolation hospitals. Provided disposable contact lenses for medical workers. Collaborating with partners around the world, including the US Dept. of Health and Human Services, to create a vaccine.

J.P. Morgan: Committing $1,000,000 to the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) to provide immediate healthcare relief, including procuring and distributing medical supplies. Beyond this, the philanthropic investment will support CFPA’s continued coordination with local governments across China to bolster disease prevention and resilience efforts in the middle and long term.

Kaiser Permanente: Launched first vaccine trial.

Lockheed Martin: Guided by three clear priorities. First, continue to protect the health and safety of its men and women on the job and their families. Second, continue to perform and deliver for its customers, critical for national security, global communications, and infrastructure. Third, use its know-how, resources, and leadership to assist its communities and country during this period of national crisis.

Merck: Committed $500,000 to the UN Foundation Solidarity Response Fund for WHO and $250,000 to the CDC Foundation Emergency Response Fund, in addition to earlier donations totaling $225,000 to Direct Relief, Project HOPE and Give2Asia and 1 million RMB to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation. Provided 1.3 million masks and other PPE and equipment globally, $1.15M in medicine to China, and more than 25,800 inhalers in the U.S.

PepsiCo: Providing enhanced benefits to all U.S. employees and additional compensation for frontline employees to maintain the supply of food and beverage during this time. Includes more than 90,000 frontline employees at both PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) and PepsiCo Foods North America (PFNA) and consists of a minimum of an incremental $100 per week for full-time employees over the next month. Will hire 6,000 new, full-time, full-benefit frontline employees across the U.S. in the coming months.

Pro-Change Behavior Systems: Launched Inspiragrams, a free text messaging program to deliver a daily dose of inspiration during this time of physical distancing and addressing all aspects of well-being.

Prudential: Conducted a survey at the first reports of the outbreak, results indicating that “Americans see employers as having a dual role to play in addressing risks associated with the virus, both in protecting their health and well-being and as trusted providers of information about the disease and resources to help manage its impact.”

St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition: Released a COVID-19 Employer Guide

Shell Oil Company: Providing free food to healthcare professionals, truck drivers, and delivery people, as well as free access to showers to truck drivers.

UnitedHealth Group (parent company of Optum): Investing initial $30 million to protect and support health care workers, $10 million to support states having an outsized impact, $5 million to address social isolation among seniors, and $5 million to provide care and support for people experiencing food insecurity or homelessness (in partnership with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Feeding America, and Meals on Wheels America). Matching employee donations dollar for dollar to support response efforts. Partnering with industry and non-profit organizations to ensure rapid deployment of resources. Repurposed closed office cafeterias to provide 21,000 meals/week in MN. Supporting employees with subsidized childcare and transportation reimbursement.

UPMC: “University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists announced a potential vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.”

Wells Fargo: Donated funds to support domestic and global response and to aid public health relief efforts, plus additional funds at the local level to address community-specific needs. Activated assistance fund for employees.

How can HERO help you?

Numerous HERO members and partners are providing support through information, resources, and guidance on the multiple areas of daily life that are being impacted. If it’s helpful, we will continue to update this list as new resources are available. Please keep us posted on any that have been especially helpful to you in your work or daily living. Email: Karen.Moseley@hero-health.org 

NEW Resources (Added 3/24/2022)

Preparing for the ‘New Normal’ EMPLOYER READINESS ASSESSMENT. Key questions and recommendations for the post-emergency phase of COVID-19.

In association with the Health Action Alliance, HERO supports this Employer Readiness Assessment as organizations look to a new way to work after the pandemic has changed the definition of a workplace and work hours. HERO also has other resources about the new ways we work, from our 2022 Winter Think Tank, which can be accessed via the HERO member website and resources can be found here, in our  Recommended Readings.

Check out the “Vaccines in the Workplace” section below

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for Employers (2021)

• HERO May Think Tank on “Employees Bringing their Home to Work: How Employee ZIP Codes should Inform Employer Leaders Responding to a Pandemic” (Link to Agenda/Readings and Recordings)
• COVID-19 & Race: Commentary.Amidst COVID-19, the United States is going through a second pandemic, one of race. This commentary discusses why the nationwide uprising for racial justice may bring lasting change, how racism wounds health and why building black-owned businesses is crucial to an equitable recovery.
• AbleTo: Developed a web page with a number of great resources, from toolkits to guided meditations, about mental well-being during COVID-19.
• Alliant Employee Benefits: Answers FAQs on “The Coronavirus and its impact on Employers”
• American Heart Association: Website of resources for individuals, including tips on how to stay active, eat healthily and manage stress at home.
• American Psychological Association: “Pandemics” website with resources for healthcare professionals, parents, and caregivers.
• Aon: Website of resources for employers, “Coronavirus Disease COVID-19 Response Site”
• HUB International: Resource center website for employers, “Coronavirus Resource Center”
• First Person: Released a COVID-19 Resource Hub of best practices, strategies, and resources to help empower people during these uncertain times.
• Lockton Companies: Website of resources for employers, “Coronavirus Advisory Practice”
• Marsh & McLennan Companies: Website of resources for employers, “Coronavirus”
• MeQuilibrium: Website on “Coronavirus Uncertainty: Respond with Resilience”
• Mercer: Website of resources for employers, “Stay informed on coronavirus”
• Virgin Pulse: Coronavirus Toolkit for Employee Wellbeing, with tips for keeping employees educated, healthy, and engaged
• Willis Towers Watson: Website of resources, “COVID-19 (Coronavirus)”
• Business Group on Health
• Harvard Business Review
• National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
• Wellness Council of America
• American Psychiatric Association Foundation: Website on “Working Remotely During COVID-19”
• Candid.org: Pop-up web page on funding opportunities specific to COVID-19
• Harvard Business Review: Released a free new ebook, Coronavirus, and Business: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
• Health Affairs: A collection of COVID-19 content from journal articles and additional resources.
• Public Health Institute: Website on “Protecting Public Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: PHI Response & Resources”
• The UnLonely Project: Website of resources and tools to encourage social connection, “Stuck at Home (together)”
• Thrive Global: #FirstRespondersFirst video featuring HERO Board Member Jack Groppel
• US Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship: Published a summary outlining the various relief programs available to U.S. small businesses through the new CARES Act.
• Total Worker Health® Employer Guide: COVID-19 Edition: A guide full of case studies, practical tips, and resources for employers created through a collaboration of academic, business and public health experts. From HERO member St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition.
• Henry Ford Health System (HFHS): By focusing on employee mental and emotional health as well as sleep-related issues, while strategically addressing physical health and financial well-being, HFHS is helping its workforce remain healthy and safe during COVID-19. The Henry Ford LiveWell blog shares helpful wellness strategies each week and are available to the public as well as shared internally.

Face Masks – Evidence (2021)

• Dear Pandemic- mask posts: https://dearpandemic.org/category/masks/
• Li R, et al. “Substantial undocumented infection facilitates the rapid dissemination of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV2).”Science, 16 March 2020. Available at: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/early/2020/03/24/science.abb3221.full.pdf
• masks4all.co: Compilation of scientific evidence and resources for how to make homemade masks.
• Huang S. “COVID-19: Why we should all wear masks – there is new scientific rationale.” Medium, 26 March 2020. Available at: https://medium.com/@Cancerwarrior/covid-19-why-we-should-all-wear-masks-there-is-new-scientific-rationale-280e08ceee71

Financial Well-being (2021)

• Financial well-being issue of The Art of Health Promotion (includes articles from several HERO members)
• Measuring the Impact of COVID-19 on Women in the Labor Force from Annuity.org

Mental Well-being (2021)

• Glide: Mental Health Awareness for Remote Workers
• PsychHub: A free mental health resource hub created in collaboration with the nation’s most credible mental health organizations to help people address their mental health needs during the pandemic.
• HERO and more than 40 other health advocacy organizations signed a letter from The Kennedy Forum to Vice President Mike Pence urging the administration to address the mental health implications of the coronavirus crisis
• Social connection issue of The Art of Health Promotion
• Resilience in the Workplace conducted by the American Heart Association Center for Workplace Health Research and Evaluation
• Resource from the CDC on managing anxiety & stress during the crisis

Physical Activity (2021)

• HERO Infographic addressing physical inactivity at work that can also be applied to telework.

Return to Work (2021 & 2022)

• Balancing Health and Economic Factors when Reopening Business in the Age of COVID-19. HERO Members William Kassler, MD, MPH and Nicolaas Pronk, PhD, MA, have authored an article in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
• Hybrid workforce and return to work resources from HERO 2022 Winter Think Tank

Self-Care (2021)

• Stanford University: Produced a short message on self-care in times of change.
• Global Wellness Institute: “Positively Well” website
• Thrive Global: “Thriving in the New Normal” website

Sleep (2021)

• Sleep: An Integral Component of Employee Well-being in The Art of Health Promotion

Social Needs (2021)

• WIN (Well-being in the Nation) Network: Website to build our connectedness, resilience and future legacies together as a nation.
• HERO Report on ways that employers can address social needs of employees and the surrounding community

Vaccines in the Workplace (2021)

• Employer Commitment and Employee Commitment templates offered by the Global Chief Medical/Health Officers Network (supported by IBM Watson Health), of which HERO is a member. The Commitments can be modified to meet the needs/language/health literacy of your workforce. However, please reflect the spirit and intent of encouraging COVID-19 vaccination and other locally recommended prevention measures. Feel free to add your own corporate branding and signature.
• Strategies for Building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence, a consensus study report, describes a variety of engagement and communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and build trust. Produced by the Societal Experts Action Network, the rapid expert consultation sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• The CDC continues to provide new resources and updates on the COVID-19 website, including FAQs, resources and toolkits focused on COVID-19 vaccinations.
• The National Alliance, in collaboration with their Medical Directors Advisory and Vaccine Advisory Committees and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Response, recently completed and released a dynamic COVID-19 immunization video series featuring patients and healthcare leaders. The videos are primarily targeted to employees to support vaccine education initiatives and to address issues related to vaccine hesitancy.
  • COVID-19 VACCINE: Get the Facts (English or Spanish translation)
  • The History of Vaccines (English or Spanish translation)
  • Trusting Vaccines (English or Spanish translation)
• Watch the US Chamber Foundation’s 2-day event on “Promoting COVID-19 Vaccines & Overcoming Hesitancy: The Role of Employers” from February 8 & 9, 2021.
  • Day 1: Public Attitudes about the COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Day 2: Effective Messages & the Role of Employers
  • Recommended Reading:
  • How Employers Should Talk About the COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Public Attitudes about the COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Vaccine hesitancy in Black and LatinX Communities
  • COVID-19 and the Black Community: A Tyler Perry Special
  • Rockefeller Foundation Message Testing Handbook
  • Effective Messages
  • Civis Analytics’ COVID-19 Insights Center
  • COVID-19 Vaccination: Considerations for Employers
  • McKinsey’s COVID-19 Response Center
  • McKinsey’s COVID-19 Vaccine Insights
  • Walmart’s COVID-19 Vaccines Resource Hub
  • Amazon’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Blog

Virtual Learning (2020-2021)

• Article for any educational organization converting from in-person to virtual instruction