Video livestream with execs and experts spearheads crisis response
The American Heart Association shifted to a remote strategy for its livestream video series, Innovation @Heart. That and other approaches led its response to the pandemic.
When news emerged in early January 2020 about COVID-19, American Heart Association leaders were alarmed.
As a science-based nonprofit saving lives for 96 years, the AHA engaged with national public health experts, and by mid-January it began planning for what leaders knew would be a serious crisis—and an enormous challenge for staff and communities.
How would AHA keep its 3,300-member staff in 100-plus offices informed and safe? How would its work and structure change? How would it move hundreds of in-person events to virtual? How would staff stay connected when suddenly working from home? How would AHA remain relevant and continue fighting the leading global killers—heart disease and stroke—in a world ruled by COVID-19?
To meet these challenges, AHA took several different approaches. One was a repurposing of its video livestream.
Innovation @Heart
Innovation @Heart had been launched in 2017, led by the CEO and staff, to report on AHA work.
On the Jan. 30 show, live COVID-19 updates began, delivered by AHA’s chief medical officer for prevention (the former head of public health for Texas), who updated it again in February.
Innovation @Heart became the weekly lead internal “breaking news” channel for the CEO, COO, CAO and CMO for Prevention.
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