As part of an organization-wide effort to support the overall health of the communities it serves, The Center for Health Affairs and CHAMPS Healthcare have signed on in support of the Business Continuity Coalition.

Recognizing the devastating economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Center for Health Affairs, the leading advocate for Northeast Ohio hospitals, and its business affiliate CHAMPS Healthcare have signed on in support of the Business Continuity Coalition (BCC), a collaborative effort with U.S. policymakers and other leading industry stakeholders to develop a plan of action to protect American jobs and limit future economic damage from pandemics and other public emergencies that require government-imposed limitations on operations.

Founded in late 2020, the BCC represents a broad range of business insurance policyholders, including trade associations, professional societies and the restaurant, entertainment, hospitality, gaming, retail, communications, broadcasting and real estate industries – fields that represent more than 60 million workers. The Center is the first healthcare-related organization to sign on in support of the cause.

"At The Center for Health Affairs and CHAMPS, our work is always centered around improving the health of the communities we serve,” said Mario Franco, executive vice president and chief operating officer for The Center for Health Affairs and CHAMPS Healthcare. "In many cases, a person’s overall health is determined by their job and financial status. By partnering with BCC, we have an opportunity to further serve our region by ensuring our country is better prepared for national emergencies so that businesses remain healthy and able to support their employees in the event of government-ordered shutdowns. Our aim is to support the BCC and introduce the benefits of the coalition to other medical associations that have been impacted greatly over the course of the last year due to the pandemic.”

The BCC initiative joins a long list of efforts from The Center and CHAMPS to support its members, clients, business partners and communities throughout the pandemic. In 2020 alone, The Center and CHAMPS dedicated more than 4,000 hours to pandemic-related work activities. Such work included:

• CHAMPS Group Purchasing's Give Back campaign to support Greater Cleveland nonprofits impacted financially by COVID-19.
• The Essentials Group’s COVID-19 vendor kit, which was assembled in partnership with Affiliated Enterprise Solutions, 12 state hospital associations and three metro associations to provide a roster of trusted companies in grant writing, staffing and other areas to help members navigate COVID-related challenges.
• The Center’s Mask Up social media campaign in partnership with Cuyahoga County.
• Coordination and support of the regional hospital response effort through The Center’s Emergency Preparedness initiative.

For more information about The Center for Health Affairs and CHAMPS Healthcare, contact us.