WASHINGTON, DC – The Ad Council, Business Roundtable, the CDC Foundation, the de Beaumont Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today announced the launch of the Health Action Alliance (HAA), a new partnership between leading business, communications and public health organizations to strengthen and accelerate the business community’s response to COVID-19. The Alliance is powered by Meteorite, an impact firm that builds coalitions to improve lives and strengthen communities.

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.

“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have devastating impacts on the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans, but as the historic vaccine rollout gets underway, there is increased reason for optimism,” said Joshua Bolten, president & CEO of Business Roundtable. “And the business community has an important role to play in sharing with employees and the broader communities where they operate the importance of vaccination to help defeat the pandemic and lead our country toward a robust economic recovery.”

On its website, healthaction.org, HAA provides free best-in-class tools, resources, training and events for the business community to help companies deliver trusted, fact-based health communications to employees and encourage consumers to make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccines.

“COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is the largest and most critical communications issue in our nation’s history, and it’s one that can’t be solved without public health and business working together,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “We know that Americans are turning to their employers as one of the most trusted sources of information and action around the COVID crisis—and that the corporate community has a significant role to play in helping us shift from vaccine hesitancy to vaccine confidence.”

Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation, said, “The Alliance was created on the belief that health is everybody’s business. In order for us to move forward, it is imperative that businesses—large, small and mid-sized—all have access to the tools and resources needed to stop the spread of COVID-19 and return to work safely.”

Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, 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.”

Dr. Richard Besser, CEO and president at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, added, “The success of our country’s vaccination program will take all of us, including the leadership of the business community. Through partnerships with public health, consistent communication from trusted sources, and keeping equity front and center, business can help put an end to this crisis. The tools and resources that have been developed by the Health Action Alliance provide the necessary guidance for business leaders to navigate the months ahead and, ultimately, help build a healthier America.”

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.

Companies participating in the Health Action Alliance network include the Ad Council’s newest COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative funders—Amazon, Apple, BNY Mellon, Cisco, Citi, CVS Health, Unilever, ViacomCBS and Wells Fargo—as well as initial contributors Bank of America, Facebook, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, the Humana Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, NBCUniversal/Comcast, the New York Life Foundation, Salesforce, Stanley Black & Decker, Synchrony, Target, Verizon, Walgreens and Walmart.

In order to support the broadest range of businesses with the most trusted expertise available, the Health Action Alliance is proud to partner with leading business associations and public health organizations including America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, American Public Health Association (APHA), Business Partners to CONVINCE, COVID Collaborative, GBCHealth, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the National Safety Council, PTTOW!, Reimagine Mainstreet, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

To access these resources and learn more about how businesses can participate, visit healthaction.org.

Health Action Alliance
The Health Action Alliance is a joint initiative of the Ad Council, the Business Roundtable, the CDC Foundation, the de Beaumont Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation—in partnership with Meteorite. The Health Action Alliance works to strengthen and accelerate the business community’s response to COVID-19, address health inequities and strengthen public health infrastructure.

The Ad Council
The Ad Council has a long history of creating life-saving public service communications in times of national crisis, starting in the organization’s earliest days during World War and including addressing the polio epidemic in the 1950s. The Ad Council and COVID Collaborative are leading a massive communications effort to educate the American public and build confidence around the COVID-19 vaccines. Guided by the leading minds in science and medicine and fueled by the best talent in the private sector, the COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative is designed to reach different audiences, including communities of color who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The nonprofit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation's most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels. The Ad Council's innovative social good campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council's communities on Facebook and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube.

Business Roundtable
Business Roundtable CEOs lead America’s largest companies, employing over 19 million workers. Their companies’ total value, over $20 trillion, accounts for approximately half of the value of all publicly-traded companies in the United States. They spend and invest over $7 trillion a year, helping sustain and grow tens of thousands of communities and millions of medium- and small-sized businesses. Follow us onTwitter,Facebook,LinkedIn andInstagram. Learn more atwww.businessroundtable.org.

CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has raised over $1 billion and launched more than 1,000 programs impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 140 countries last year. Follow the CDC Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. Learn more at www.cdcfoundation.org.

de Beaumont Foundation
The de Beaumont Foundation creates and invests in bold solutions that improve the health of communities across the country. Its mission is to advance policy, build partnerships and strengthen public health to create communities where everyone can achieve their best possible health. For more information, visit debeaumont.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For more than 45 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. The foundation is working alongside others to build a national Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. For more information, visit rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter or on Facebook.

Meteorite
Meteorite builds coalitions and campaigns to strengthen our democracy, improve health outcomes and advance equity. We align businesses, civil society and philanthropy around shared values and common purpose, and inspire unlikely partnerships that drive social transformation. In addition to the Health Action Alliance, Meteorite also powers Civic Alliance, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 1,000 companies committed to strengthening our democracy by encouraging civic participation. Let’s make impact, together. wearemeteorite.com

Media Contacts:

Michael Moroney
(484) 798-9125
media@healthaction.org

Amy Rosenberg
(917) 439-9309
amy.rosenberg@fleishman.com