February 2024 Health and Cultural Observances

In This Issue: Black History Month | American Heart Health Month | National Cancer Prevention Month

The National Alliance Coalition Health Advisory Council provides this newsletter to make it easier for employers to tie select national health and cultural observances to health and wellbeing strategies. For a complete list: 2024 Diversity Calendar 2024 National Health Observances Calendar

Honoring Black History Month Reflecting on the Journey Toward Health Equity

"Implicit Bias is the single most important determinant of health and healthcare disparities." Dayna Bowen Matthew, JD, PhD Professor of Law and Public Health Sciences Take the "unconscious bias" quiz Supporting health equity enables employers to build a healthier, more productive workforce, improve employee retention, and create a more just society. For example: Are benefits meeting the health and wellbeing needs of racially, ethnically and culturally diverse employees? Are healthcare (and other) benefits easy to understand, access and navigate for all? Are employees living in healthcare deserts? How about other deserts such as healthy food, exercise and digital? Do employees have access to diverse networks and health care professionals who understand their preferences? Is transportation to medical appointments a challenge for some employees? View these resources to address health equity in the workplace: Racism and Health (CDC) Health Equity Guiding Principles for Inclusive Communication (CDC) Employers can do More to Advance Health Equity (Harvard Business Review)

Did you know? Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the leading causes of death for African Americans. Providing education and enabling access to healthcare saves lives. View the National Alliance Health Equity Town Hall Series: Building & Sustaining a Culture of Inclusion Accelerating Health Equity Across the Supply Chain Accelerating Health Equity Using Workplace Policies & Benefits Recognizing Implicit Bias & Using Data to Overcome It Lessons Learned from Recent Health Equity Efforts

American Heart Health Month Messaging in the Workplace

Heart disease costs is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the US at a cost of more than $239 billion/year. February is American Heart Month. Helping employees and their families understand risk factors for heart disease through racially, ethnically and culturally specific communications and education, employers and other healthcare purchasers is good business. This American Heart Month outreach toolkit helps motivate others to be smart when it comes to the heart: Social media resources Fact sheets Drop-in Articles, slides, and flyers

Did you know? Million Hearts® collaborated with the CDC Foundation to develop the “Live to the Beat” campaign, which aims to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Black adults ages 35 to 54. Use this free online toolkit.

February is National Cancer Prevention Month!

As commitments to New Year's resolutions fade, National Cancer Awareness Month is a great time to revive good health intentions. Click here for the latest prevention news. Use these resources to remind employees of the importance of early detection and treatment: Fact sheets on prevention and early detection How to Prevent Cancer and Find it Early Health Equity in Cancer A Helping Hand: Resource Guide for People with Cancer

"The real magic sauce if when we are going to be able to start pushing even more upstream and start focusing on prevention. We all know that our genes aren't necessarily our fate." Teresa Heckel, Oncology Project Director, Sarah Cannon Research Institute

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