- 'Clean Hands are Cool Hands' PSA debuts nationwide encouraging healthy
hand hygiene in time for Back to School -
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The HCA Foundation, the
philanthropic arm of Nashville-based hospital company Hospital Corporation
of America (HCA), today announced the launch of the "Clean Hands are Cool
Hands" Back to School campaign to prevent the spread of
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), a common yet highly
contagious bacteria that frequently inhabits a person's skin or nostrils.
HCA teamed up with popular teen actor and recording artist Mitchel Musso,
best known for his role as "Oliver" in the Disney Channel series Hannah
Montana, to create a public service announcement educating kids and their
parents on the importance of hand washing to prevent the spread of MRSA in
schools.
"I am happy to be a part of this important campaign to prevent the
spread of MRSA and help raise awareness among my fans and kids of all ages
to stay healthy," said Musso. "Hopefully they will see me in this PSA and
get the message that clean hands are cool and most importantly are less
likely to spread germs."
Because of its resistance to antibiotics, MRSA accounts for 19,000
deaths in the United States each year, 86% of which are
healthcare-associated and 14% which are community acquired.(1) HCA's 169
hospitals across the nation, under the leadership of Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, have implemented more aggressive infection
prevention protocols to tackle this issue.
"The growing prevalence of MRSA in hospitals and communities, including
in schools, is creating new challenges for the healthcare community," said
Perlin. "It is important to make parents and kids aware of the little
things they can do at home and at school to prevent its spread, such as
washing their hands with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer."
The 30-second television PSA was shot in July in Los Angeles,
California and features Musso interacting in an animated world of everyday
items that can pass on germs and make us sick. Musso emphasizes how easy it
is to come in contact with germs throughout the day and how something as
simple as washing your hands can dramatically reduce the spread of these
germs and help prevent the illnesses that they can cause.
"We chose to partner with Mitchel due to his popularity and appeal to
our target audience -- young kids, tweens, teens and even parents," Joanne
Pulles, Executive Director for the HCA Foundation. "MRSA is becoming an
increasing concern and cause for absence in schools, and we think Mitchel's
participation in this campaign will help deliver the message that hand
washing is the single most effective and simplest way to prevent its
spread."
The PSA aimed at kids in grades K-4, is set to debut later this month
on television stations across the United States. Dr. Perlin and Mitchel
Musso will also be promoting the campaign through broadcast media tours, TV
appearances, and kick-off events in cities throughout the country,
including Las Vegas, Nashville and Tampa.
Images from the PSA will be featured on The Reuters Sign in Times
Square and information on the campaign will be available online starting
August 15 at http://www.cleanhandsarecoolhands.com. The site provides a fun,
interactive place for kids and parents to learn about MRSA and how to
prevent its spread, digital downloads of pictures and videos, as well as a
streaming file of the PSA.
About The HCA Foundation and HCA
The HCA Foundation was established by Nashville-based hospital company
Hospital Corporation of America. (HCA) to provide leadership, service, and
financial support to non-profit organizations. As the philanthropic arm of
HCA, its mission is to promote health and well being, support childhood and
youth development and foster the arts in Middle Tennessee and beyond. The
HCA Foundation supports organizations that have a well-defined sense of
purpose, a demonstrated commitment to maximizing available resources and a
reputation for meeting objectives and delivering quality services with
caring and compassion. Actively providing grants since 1998, The HCA
Foundation has contributed more than $119M in grants to more than 200
agencies and organizations. Additional information on the Foundation is
available at http://www.hcacaring.org.
HCA Inc. is the nation's leading health care services provider. It
operates 169 hospitals and 113 surgery centers in 20 states, and England
(including eight hospitals and nine freestanding surgery centers operated
through equity method joint ventures).
(1) Klevens et al. Journal of the American Medical Association 2007;
298(15):1763-1771
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