The number of health systems joining the national #MaskUp campaign encouraging Americans to stop the spread of COVID-19 by following safety guidelines continues to grow. A total of 123 health systems with hospitals numbering in the thousands are now united to help keep Americans safe and stem the pandemic.
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. This message is critical as we are on the cusp of vaccine distribution that will take place over the next several months.
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.”
The science says it all. Masks work and they’ve helped slow the spread of COVID-19. Let’s #MaskUp and save lives together.
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, nearing 15 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 resulting in deaths approaching the 300,000 mark as of Dec. 7.
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.
Tough times call for strong leaders. Lead by example. #MaskUp to save lives. (Credit: Lynn Johnson / Cleveland Clinic)
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 123 health systems representing thousands of hospitals.
| AdventHealth | Nationwide Children’s Hospital |
| Adventist Health | Nebraska Medicine |
| Advocate Aurora Health | Nemours Children’s Health System |
| Allegheny Health Network | NewYork-Presbyterian |
| Atlantic Health System | Northwell Health |
| Atrium Health | Northwestern Medicine |
| Avera Health | Norton Healthcare |
| Banner Health | Ochsner Health |
| Baptist Health Northeast Florida | OhioHealth |
| Baylor Scott & White Health | Oregon Health & Science University |
| Baystate Health | OSF HealthCare |
| Beebe Healthcare | OU Health |
| BJC HealthCare | PeaceHealth |
| Bon Secours Mercy Health | Penn Medicine |
| Boston Children’s Hospital | Penn State Health |
| Cedars-Sinai | Piedmont Healthcare |
| Centura Health | Providence |
| Children’s Hospital Los Angeles | Renown Health |
| Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia | Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center |
| Children’s Hospital of Orange County | Rush University System for Health |
| Children’s National Hospital | RWJ Barnabas Health |
| ChristianaCare | Saint Luke’s Health System (Kansas City, MO) |
| Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center | SCL Health |
| City of Hope | Scripps Health |
| Cleveland Clinic | Sentara Healthcare |
| CommonSpirit Health | Sharp HealthCare |
| Community Health Systems | Southwestern Health Resources |
| Cone Health | Spectrum Health |
| Cooper University Health Care | SSM Health |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | St. Elizabeth Healthcare |
| Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital |
| Duke Health | St. Luke’s Hospital (St. Louis) |
| Einstein Healthcare Network | Stanford Medicine |
| El Camino Health | Sutter Health |
| Emory Healthcare | Temple Health |
| Geisinger | Texas Health Resources |
| Hackensack Meridian Health | The Christ Hospital Health Network |
| HCA Healthcare | The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center |
| HonorHealth | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| Inspira Health | ThedaCare |
| Intermountain Healthcare | TriHealth (Cincinnati) |
| Jefferson Health | Trinity Health |
| John Muir Health | Tufts Medical Center |
| Johns Hopkins Medicine | UC Davis Health |
| Kaiser Permanente | UC Health (CINCINNATI) |
| Keck Medicine of USC | UC San Diego Health |
| LifePoint Health | UCHealth |
| Lurie Children’s | UChicago Medicine |
| Main Line Health | UCI Health |
| MarinHealth | UCLA Health |
| Mass General Brigham | UCSF Health |
| Mayo Clinic | UNC Health |
| MedStar Health | University Hospitals (Cleveland) |
| Memorial Health System (Illinois) | University of California Health |
| Memorial Hermann | University of Iowa Health Care |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | University of Maryland Medical System |
| MemorialCare (Southern California) | UT Southwestern Medical Center |
| Mercy | Vanderbilt Health |
| Michigan Medicine | Virtua Health |
| Moffitt Cancer Center | Washington Hospital Healthcare System |
| Mount Sinai Health System | WellSpan Health |
| National Jewish Health |