Program Date: July 16, 2021
Air Date: July 19, 2021
Free beer (or a glass of wine). Discounts on ice cream, donuts…or your favorite edibles. College scholarships for young people. Oh, and how about $1 million?
These are just some of the incentives public and private sector actors are offering to encourage vaccination in Oregon and across the country.
And yet, despite the best efforts of public health authorities, vaccination uptake has slowed dramatically in recent months, with many states failing to reach even 50% of eligible adults, let alone the 70% goal laid out by the Biden Administration.
With variants circulating and kids under 12 still waiting to be eligible for the vaccine, the fight to vaccinate more Americans remains an urgent and pressing issue.
We’ve got an expert panel to discuss this challenge and how government and business can continue to work together to incentivize vaccination.
Speakers:
Cathy Kauffman, MSW, runs the Portland-based Kauffman Strategies, a strategic consulting firm focused on health and social programs.
Prior to forming Kaufmann Strategies, Cathy was a Principal with Health Management Associates and served as director of the Transformation Center in the at the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), where she led efforts to implement the Affordable Care Act, including helping to streamline and improve Medicaid enrollment. Cathy also served as the administrator of the Office of Healthy Kids and the Office of Client and Community Services, where she was the recipient of the ECHOE (Excellence in Children’s Health Outreach and Enrollment) honor for her success at reducing the number of uninsured children.
Tom Cosentino is the Executive Director of the Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA), the statewide advocacy and promotional channel of the New Jersey wine industry. He has over 35 years of strategic media relations, marketing communications and brand-building expertise in the public relations industry. Tom joined the GSWGA from MWW PR where he coordinated public relations and advocacy programs for the firm’s public affairs division. Tom oversees the day-to-day administrative and marketing functions of the organization; serves as spokesman for the wine industry in New Jersey; and is the liaison with the Administration, Department of Agriculture, Tourism and other industry groups.
Craig R. Frank is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kaya Holdings (KAYS), which owns and operates Kaya Shack cannabis shops in Portland and Salem. In March, Kaya Shack launched a “Pot for a Shot” campaign, offering discounts to consumers who show their vaccination card.
Prior to KAYS, Craig served for as CEO of Alternative Fuels Americas, Inc. (AFAI), KAYS’s predecessor company. At AFAI, Craig led Jatropha plant trials in Guatemala. Honduras and Costa Rica, secured orders for 6 million gallons of biofuel, and developed industry-first programs for the use of wild feedstock. Prior to AFAI, Craig served 11 years as CEO of The Tudog Group, a firm with business advisory and business development divisions.