Dear Colleagues:
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has launched the Health Means Business, a two-year commitment and partnership with local and regional chambers, to foster business engagement in the wellness of our nation’s communities.
The Health Means Business campaign consists of:
- Regional Forums. The campaign will travel to a minimum of 10 communities through forums in conjunction with local and regional chambers of commerce. The purpose of each forum is to engage local businesses and other key community stakeholders, including members of the media, in discussions about health, education, and economic outcomes, and to encourage increased business involvement in building healthy communities.
- Research. In partnership with a prominent academic institution, the project is producing novel research to draw the connections between health, education, and jobs. The final report will drive a greater understanding of the link between business and health, and provide evidence about how health and economic empowerment are linked.
- Resource Center. The Resource Center will engage businesses (large and small) to work with their local chambers of commerce around health and economic issues. More than a simple listing of resources, the Resource Center will contain specific tools for taking action to address a community’s health and economic issues.
- National Summit. The capstone of the campaign will be a National Summit to showcase our momentum and lessons learned from the forums and the campaign, providing insights on a national stage. This event will take place at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Washington, D.C. and will bring together businesses, policy-makers, key health and education influencers, and others including the national media, to explore the critical link between economic outcomes and health outcomes, and the collective impact that stakeholders can achieve when focusing together on the health of communities.
To learn more, view the four-minute video by RWJF's CEO, Risa Lavizzo-Mourey and sign up for the upcoming webinar on February 18, 2016. Will your community be part of the initiative?
Cynthia
Cynthia Zafft, Health Literacy Moderator