Month: March 2023

The Concussion Awareness Now campaign raises awareness both about the common, everyday ways concussions most often happen and the importance of getting concussions evaluatedConcussion Awareness Now is a coalition of nearly 20 advocacy groups, founded by Abbott and the Brain Injury Association of America, with Rebel Wilson as the group’s inaugural spokespersonThe campaign addresses the fact that more than half of people who suspect they have a concussion never get it checked and features a family of characters called the Melons

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., and FAIRFAX, Va., March 28, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Concussion Awareness Now, a coalition of nearly 20 advocacy groups founded by Abbott and the Brain Injury Association of America, unveiled a new public service campaign to draw attention to concussions and the importance of seeking care.

The majority of concussions happen during everyday activities – and more than half of people who suspect they have a concussion never get it checked, according to a recent coalition survey.

The new public service announcement campaign raises awareness both about the common ways concussions happen and the importance of getting them evaluated. Playing off the fact that people sometimes refer to their brain as their “melon,” the campaign features a family of animated characters called the Melons, designed to connect with a wide audience by showcasing real-life situations where head injuries occur. Further, the spots encourage people to get their heads checked for a possible concussion, even if they are hesitant or feel pressure not to. The characters span three generations: grandparents, parents and children.

“Too often people think it’s OK to walk off a possible concussion,” said Dr. Beth McQuiston, neurologist and medical director in Abbott’s diagnostics business. “But like a bruised melon, which can suffer unseen damage beneath the surface, a concussion is a serious injury that isn’t always obvious to the naked eye. By driving awareness, we hope more people will seek care for possible concussions when they hit their head, because you can’t treat what you don’t know.”

Each public service announcement features a Melon character hitting his or her head in a different way: slipping on a toy, texting and walking, tripping over the family pet during a virtual reality game, and playing pickleball. Each spot ends with the tagline, “Don’t mess with your melon – if you hit it, get it checked.” The campaign is launching across digital and social channels.

A survey of 3,000 people conducted by the coalition in November of 2022 highlighted many of the misconceptions about concussions. For example, even though only 3% of concussions that present to the emergency room are the result of sports injuries, 84% of respondents believed athletes are the most at risk for concussion. The leading cause of concussions is slips and falls.

“Most concussions happen to people participating in regular, everyday activities,” said Rick Willis, president and chief executive officer of the Brain Injury Association of America. “In the brain injury community, we take concussions – and their after-effects – very seriously. But not everyone has the same understanding of what situations are most likely to cause concussions or what to do when they experience a hit or bump to the head or a full-body jolt. The Melons offer a unique way to spread awareness about concussions: if you think you or a loved one has sustained a concussion, it’s imperative to get it checked.”

Abbott and the Brain Injury Association of America launched the Concussion Awareness Now coalition in December. The coalition of advocacy groups has teamed up with acclaimed actress, comedian, writer and producer Rebel Wilson to raise awareness about the seriousness of concussions. Wilson has shared her personal concussion story as part of the coalition’s campaign and will appear with the Melons in online content. Wilson suffered a concussion when she slipped on wet grass while walking to the set of a movie.

Concussion Awareness Now is made up of advocacy groups that represent people who have sustained brain injuries – from veterans, older adults and victims of domestic violence – their caregivers, as well as healthcare professionals such as emergency care physicians, physicians assistants, urgent care workers and athletic trainers. The coalition website, CheckYourMelon.com, features information about concussion, tips for seeking treatment, frequently asked questions, a patient question guide and other resources.

About the Brain Injury Association of America 
The Brain Injury Association of America is the country’s oldest and largest nationwide brain injury advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance awareness, research, treatment, and education and to improve the quality of life for all people affected by brain injury. We are dedicated to increasing access to quality health care and raising awareness and understanding of brain injury.

Learn more at www.biausa.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrainInjuryAssociationofAmerica, on Instagram at @bia_usa, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/brain-injury-association-of-america.

About Abbott 
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. 
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.

Calvin Crosslin, VP, Lenovo Chief Diversity Officer and President, Lenovo Foundation

At Lenovo, International Women’s Day has always been a special day each year. Our efforts for gender inclusion unite our markets around the world, as does our global goal to reach 27% female executive representation by 2025. Through the efforts of Lenovo’s WILL (Women in Lenovo Lead) employee resource group, women and men are given opportunities to engage and learn more about gender inclusion through events in their local offices. From an event with Lenovo’s partner, Everywoman in London to training on how to increase self-awareness in Lima, our WILL groups are organizing more than 20 events around the world to engage our employees in this year’s theme “Embrace Equity”.

Embrace equity is a call to action for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world. At Lenovo, when it comes to embracing equity, our goal is simple: People should no longer have to change themselves to fit the world. Instead, the world will change to fit its people – all of its people. We acknowledge that the world can be built to be more inclusive and accessible – not just for women, but for people of all backgrounds and abilities.

In my role as Chief Diversity Officer, I work with Lenovo’s teams to drive equity throughout our systems and processes. From our talent acquisition team’s goals to ensure a diverse slate of candidates to our sponsorship and readiness programs for managers and directors from underrepresented backgrounds, we’ve put a pipeline in place to enable equity throughout an employee’s journey. But as every Chief Diversity Officer knows, these programs can’t be isolated to our Diversity and Inclusion teams or Human Resources and TA if they are to be successful. To quote our Chairman, Yuanqing Yang, “Creating an equitable environment requires the support of everyone in the workplace.” Employees at Lenovo are supported by leaders across our global business in Lenovo’s pursuit for an equitable environment. While we all reflect on how we can embrace equity on International Women’s Day, I’m proud to share the reflections of some our leaders below.

Kirk Skaugen, EVP & President Infrastructure Group and Lenovo Diversity & Inclusion Board Member

For me, embracing equity means that everyone has access to the same opportunities, treatment, compensation and advancement in their careers. Here at Lenovo, we’re driving a People First approach where we as leaders aspire to create an exciting and entrepreneurial environment that engages and energizes our employees, providing them the opportunity to achieve and contribute at their maximum potential. I’m proud of the work we do at Lenovo to ensure our employees have the resources and support they need for each person to reach their full potential. Diversity and equity isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s proven to be good for business and our results consistently show that.

Gao Lan, SVP, Lenovo Human Resources and Lenovo Diversity & Inclusion Board Member

Every person is inherently valuable and possesses a unique set of strengths and experiences. Embracing equity entails recognizing and honoring these differences, fostering an environment where all individuals can thrive and develop, and leveraging our diverse perspectives to drive the growth and success of our company.

Ken Wong, EVP & President, Lenovo Solutions & Services Group

Often the notion of gender parity centers around equality but it’s critical to understand the difference between equity and equality. Equity is giving everyone what they need to be successful. Equality is treating everyone the same. I have a son and a daughter and my hopes for them are the same – that they can achieve exactly what they want to in life. While opportunities for women have changed immeasurably over the last decades, I know my daughter will face more challenges than my son. So, I have a very personal motivation to commit to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA. We can all play a part.

Fiona O’Brien, VP, ISO Sales Transformation & Enablement and EMEA D&I Sponsor

For me, embracing equity means developing a culture of fairness. This is what separates it from equality. If equality focuses on ensuring everyone is treated the same, equity recognises that we don’t all come from the same place and therefore we need to ensure we are creating a culture where all of us have the access and support to succeed to the best of our ability.

Achieving equity in the workplace means recognising that office norms and policies in their current state may benefit some and hinder others. So, we need to take a fresh look at these and make sure that they are truly inclusive and are adapted for different backgrounds and different lived experiences. Ultimately, if we want to see real change, we need to double down on efforts to support those that have been historically excluded or disadvantaged and make sure they have access to the tools, expertise, and support they need to truly succeed.

Amar Babu, President, Lenovo Asia Pacific and Lenovo Diversity & Inclusion Board Member

Embracing equity’ in my view, is that anyone can succeed in Lenovo, and one’s gender, ethnicity, or personal orientation doesn’t impact the path toward that success. Having worked for most of my Lenovo career in our highly diverse Asia Pacific Region, I have experienced this personally myself and am proud to see many success stories from across markets and backgrounds. Together we make Lenovo the most equitable place to work, and we should all be proud and confident that true merit gets real success here.

Sergio Buniac, Lenovo SVP, President of Latin America, and Motorola, and Diversity & Inclusion Board Member

“For me, embracing equity is about providing people – both internally and externally – with fair treatment, access, and opportunities. At Lenovo, we as leaders have the responsibility to provide inclusive and equitable opportunities in our workforce and to serve as an example to our teammates. We also recognize the influence and positive impact technology can have in serving as a catalyst to empower people all around the world to tell and share their stories. It’s why, at Motorola, we are committed to ensuring our products can be accessed by and meet the needs of all consumers.”

For more reporting on Lenovo’s gender equity initiatives, reference the most recent ESG Report and more diversity and inclusion stories on Lenovo StoryHub.

On World Water Day, Dow is supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Movement on Water Action alongside other member companies of the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC).

This year’s World Water Day coincides with the start of the UN 2023 Water Conference, to be held March 22-24 in New York. The conference is the first of its kind in nearly 50 years and brings together stakeholders across all sectors of society. A major outcome of the conference is the UN SDG Movement on Water, of which a centerpiece is the Business Leaders’ Open Call for Accelerating Action on Water.

The Open Call seeks to leverage the power of the global business community to accelerate progress on the SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, and respond to the water issues exacerbated by climate change.

“We understand that resilient companies are built on healthy communities and ecosystems,” said Andre Argenton, Dow vice president of Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) and chief sustainability officer. “By sharing our learnings and engaging with other partners through the WRC, we hope to inspire others to come together in order to sustainably manage scarce freshwater resources and accelerate actions toward achieving the United Nation’s sustainable development goal for clean water and sanitation.”

An initiative of the CEO Water Mandate, the WRC is a CEO-led, industry-driven coalition with the ambition to achieve positive water impact in more than 100 water-stressed basins that support over 3 billion people by 2030. Coalition companies have pledged to make needed investments in their own operations – as well as work in tandem through collective action – to build the resiliency of these freshwater basins that serve communities, industry and nature.

Hear more from Dow CEO and Chairman Jim Fitterling about what Dow is doing to impact water resilience in its own operations and through WRC.