Last fall, the Chamber announced five aspirations for regional recovery which now form the framework for our Recharge & Recover PHL initiative. Among these aspirations is the objective that Greater Philadelphia can become the healthiest and most livable community in the northeast.
To execute on our short-term implementation of a region-wide testing, contact tracing, and vaccination program, the Chamber began hosting regular virtual meetings with regional hospitals and health care organizations to connect with leaders within the Wolf Administration and Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH). These meetings focus on discussing a region-wide approach to integrating private sector strategies with those of the Commonwealth and county governments. As the pandemic has progressed, the Chamber has shifted its focus to develop and coordinate strategies and tactics to combat hesitations to the vaccine.
In June 2021, we were joined by Dr. Denise Johnson, Acting Physician General, and Dr. Wendy Braund, COVID-19 Response Director, Pennsylvania DOH, to discuss ways in which health systems could continue to work together, share best practices, and form strategic partnerships to address the pandemic’s impact on our region.
At our most recent meeting, Bill Marella, Director of Data Analytics and Quality, HealthShare Exchange (HSX), presented insights into how the Greater Philadelphia region’s health information technology infrastructure fared throughout the course of the pandemic, how HSX leveraged data to support the public health response, and lessons learned to make our region even more resilient in the face of future crises.
If you are interested in learning more about these meetings, please contact the Chamber’s James Medaglio.
Our Community’s Efforts
In addition to HSX’s ongoing efforts to gain insights into our region’s current efforts, Chamber members and others in our business and civic communities have stepped up to boost plateaued vaccination rates through research, strategic messaging, and collaborations.
Regional public health researchers continue to work to understand the current and impending impact of the virus on our region and beyond. Dr. Michael Feldman, Vice Chairman of Clinical Services, Pathology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has taken on genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 variants in Greater Philadelphia and potential implications for public health. This research emerges alongside work that the Pennsylvania DOH is doing on genome sequencing with the CDC and their contracted labs, as well as work that other academic and health institutions are doing throughout the region.
In addition to this work, strategic messaging continues to play a key role in sharing information and building reassurance when it comes to finding sites to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The Chamber serves as a partner in the All Faiths Vaccination Campaign, a consortium of over 60 regional organizations across industries and sectors working to achieve equitable access to vaccinations in underserved neighborhoods in Philadelphia and surrounding communities. The campaign provides a video messaging library featuring trusted community members providing encouragement and information in an effort to answer questions and solve for hesitations to vaccination throughout our region.
The City of Philadelphia’s Vaccine Advisory Committee was formed to advise the Health Department on planning distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Through the participation of 40 business leaders, this group serves as another example of business and civic collaboration to strengthen vaccination acceptance citywide.
Recharge & Recover PHL
Join regional leaders as we prioritize regional health and safety, create opportunities for displaced workers, and bolster support for small, Black and brown businesses in a shared effort to stabilize, energize, and prepare Greater Philadelphia for a durable recovery.
