Let’s Get Together. Safely. | Leading Through Change | Salesforce

Gather all your friends and colleagues because today we're talking about how to get it done safely. As the conversation turns from getting rid of COVID 19 to learning how to live with it responsibly, we're ready with some sound advice from two of our most trusted experts. Hi, I'm Leah McGowan Hare. Thanks so much for joining us for Leading through Change, a chance for you to hear from leaders who are adapting and rising to meet the challenge of these changing times. It's launch week here at Salesforce with a product that focuses on our health well being and desire to get back out there and be with each other. Omicron was one has been top of mind for all of us and we sincerely hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. We've heard all about upgrading our masks, public programs that help us get access to at home tests and and all the concerns we all have surrounding our safety, especially at home and at school. Salesforce is proud to launch Safety Cloud, a tool that allows employers to scale testing and vaccine verification, manage health and safety protocols and automate and streamline entry to offices and events to ensure we're all as safe as possible now. But before we get into the details, we have asked our friend, the chief medical officer here at Salesforce, Dr. Geeta Nayar. And our doctor, we like to call her Dr. G for an update on the latest guidance when it comes to protecting ourselves, our colleagues and our families. From COVID she has sat down with public health expert Dr. Leanna Nguyen. In addition to her impressive contributions in the medical field as an emergency physician, Dr. Nguyen is a CNN analyst, a Washington Post contributing columnist and a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University.

Dr. Wen, it's so great to sit down with a fellow GW doc. Thank you for being here. Let's jump right into it. Can you give us your view on the state of the pandemic?

Well, it's a pleasure to join you today, Dr. G. And I actually am bringing pretty good news I think in that we are finally see after this viral blizzard of Omicron, we are seeing a downturn in that the parts of the country that were hit the hardest initially are seeing a rapid decline when it comes to COVID 19 cases. Now of course none of us have a crystal ball. We don't know what's going to happen next. Might there be a new variant that arises for example that again sets us back and could we have another rise in infection? That's possible, but. But it's equally possible that we could be in for a very good spring and summer ahead with a combination of immunity from vaccination as well as immunity from those who have recovered recently from COVID And I think the key for us at this point is to prepare for the worst, but also get ready for a return to normal, which I know so many of us are so desperate for.

Well, thanks so much for the good news. We're excited to hear that. So speaking of spring break, as we all think about plans, whether it's spring break, summer vacation, what is the right path forward to keep that cautiously optimistic point of view that you're telling us?

Well, we first have to acknowledge that we are at a very different point in the pandemic than last year or the year before. That we have a lot more tools and there's actually an important decision to be faced for us as a country, as a community, which is what is it that we value? Are we still focused on infection control or should we focus on preventing further disruption to society and getting back to pre pandemic? As in so far, all of our efforts have been on infection control. We've been saying let's reduce the number of infections. Let's try to get to the point that we're able to test for every new case we can contact, trace we can then quarantine and isolate accordingly. That way we'll save the most number of lives. The problem, though, is the focus on infection control keeps us in this perpetual pandemic mode. And many people, especially people who are vaccinated and boosted the risk to them of something bad happening actually is very low. And so there's another potential path too, which is to say we're going to focus on getting back to normal for the time being, understanding that we could have another setback in time, but why not return to normal still perhaps focus on testing, but testing of vulnerable individuals who may then need to have medications, antiviral treatments or monoclonal antibodies for early treatment. But the goal really should be focused on preventing further disruption to society. And then if needed, we could re implement restrictions, but lockdowns, other restrictions should be rolled back as quickly as they were put in in the first place.

Again, all good news. Great to hear that. So part of the anxiety, as you know, is the focus on infection control and also just the pandemic of misinformation and disinformation as we move forward. What do you think is the best advice for our audience as they think about to stay staying informed as it's really been a confusing time? Where is the place that you send your patients. Where is the place that we should all be reading for medical advice as we think about the next chapter?

It's a good question. And I think that the lack of solid information has been compounded by a pandemic of misinformation and disinformation, which takes away people's ability to make the best choices for themselves and their families. At the same time, I have to dispel say too that the federal guidelines often have not been very clear. And in fact there have been confusing information out of the CDC itself to the point that public trust has really been eroded in our federal health agencies. Part of what we need to do going forward is recognizing too that federal guidelines are for everyone. They are for setting policy, but it's not as helpful for the individual. And right now there's no such thing as zero risk. And so I, as a clinician, for example, help my patients with making decisions that are individualized for them. And so when it comes to deciding which activities to resume, I would advise people to think about three things. One is your individual medical circumstance and the medical circumstance of people in your household. Two is your risk tolerance and three is the value of that activity. And so, for example, if everyone in your household is fully vaccinated and boosted and they're generally healthy, it would be reasonable to say you want to return to all aspects of pre pandemic normal. You'll be going back to work in person, you'll be happy to travel and dine indoors and because the risk to you of severe Covid is very low. But at the same time, a family that has unvaccinated younger children or elderly immunocompromised individuals who they also take care of that, that for them they might have a lower risk tolerance and still be taking a number of precautions for them. And so I think right now to your question about where do you go for information, I think looking at CDC website is helpful for looking to see what the recommendations for everyone would be. But at the end of the day, I think it's a combination of assessing your own risk calculus and talking with trusted individuals, including your physician, about what's right for you and your family.

So it's not social media and it's not our neighbors, is that what I heard you say?

You know, I think that there are, there are good sources of information through people that you know as well. And public health, so much of public health depends on this idea of the trusted messenger. For many of us, our neighbors and people that we know are also Trusted messengers too. So it's not to say ignore them, but rather just be aware of the many sources of information and recognizing too, that other people have different ways of calculating risk that we do. And people at this point in the pandemic are living in many different realities that are appropriate for them. And so don't be afraid to make the right choice for you and your family.

That makes a lot of sense. You know, I always say, just like financial health and actual health, we all have a different status in different place from where we're even beginning foundationally. So those are, those are great points.

So let's talk a little bit about.

The health care system. Right? You and I both know on the front lines it's been a terrible two years. Whether it's staff shortages, burnout, ICUs that don't have the right resources. As we think about the health care system and how we can bolster it, what do you think is the role of technology? We've seen telemedicine grow exponentially over a short period of time. Is that the solution or is that a drawback?

Well, I have long been a proponent of telemedicine and a practitioner of telemedicine. And so I'm thrilled that many of the barriers that people had erected before to say, hey, this is why we can't do telemedicine. Now, we've seen how telemedicine can work. I do not think that telemedicine replaces brick and mortar, but rather that it is a helpful adjunct. As we think about the continuum of care, that telemedicine plays a role, home based healthcare plays a role. Still going to brick and mortar places will play a role as well. I also think that in this pandemic, we've really seen how science and health innovation, including health technology, are saving the day. I mean, we are able to move on with our lives because we have highly effective, safe vaccines that basically take severe illness and death off the table for the vast majority of people. I mean, that's really incredible. So I think that there is a lot of energy, a lot of momentum to capitalizing on all these, on all these innovations, including scientific advances, including telemedicine and other health tech innovations. But what I would say to this is there is a word of caution, which is that we have to keep our focus on the most vulnerable. We do not want for new advances to further the gap between the haves and the have nots. And for many people who are privileged, telemedicine ends up being a wonderful additional thing. But let's not replace the the, the sources of of information and the resources that the most vulnerable need. And so how do we make sure that we have health equity at the forefront? Caring one because we know that health disparities is not a zero sum game. You don't add years of life to one group by taking years of life from another. In fact, if it's anything that Covid has taught us, it's that when we focus on the most vulnerable, all boats rise.

I love that. Thank you so much for that point. So let's pivot for a minute and talk about some of the downstream effects of the pandemic. As we both know, the economy has been hit. Businesses are trying to come back bracing hopefully for a good summer as you point out. What is your advice to businesses that are looking to lead through this pandemic and really looking to flourish in this next phase?

Well, I think you as a business need to determine what is it that you care about. Many businesses will care a lot about infection control and so if you do, then I would I proposed and want to share with you the two out of three rule, which is you need two out of the three things in order to ensure a safe workplace that reduces infection. Again, if that is your goal, infection control, two out of three rule, you need vaccines, testing or masking. If you have one out of three of these things, that already makes it a lot safer. But two out of three will make it even safer. So as in if you want an environment where no one is wearing masks anymore, even if there is a high level of virus around you, you can still make things relatively safe by having testing. Rapid testing would be more than sufficient for this purp and proof of vaccination. If everybody is vaccinated in particular boosted and you have testing, I do not believe you need masks. By the same token, if there are many people around who are unvaccinated and vaccine verification is not being used, then I believe you need to have masking and testing and so forth. The two out of three is helpful to think about when your goal is infection control. Now, over time it may be that we reach a very low level of virus, in which case one out of three is enough. Or if a company decides we don't care about infection, we're focused on severe illness, then there would also be a different way of valuing risk, including for those companies. And it's possible that we may go down this path as a country. We may end up not having asymptomatic testing. We may even do away with isolation and quarantine. We are not there yet, but that's something to look forward to in the future. As in, it's possible that Covid becomes no different from the flu, where we do not isolate or quarantine for the flu, but it becomes part of the acceptable risk that we take in our lives.

Dr. Wen, you distilled such complicated guidelines into a few points and that that brings me back to misinformation. I love how you broke that down. As we think about the role that healthcare, governments and business have in addressing misinformation, because part of this is being informed, right? Being an informed business, being an informed healthcare worker or member of society, what do you think the role of those three are as we think about empowering people with information going forward? Because it will change, right? This remains a dynamic environment. So how do we just empower people with the simplicity of your guidance and the simplicity of the information. As this unravels, I do think we.

Have to recognize that people are living in many different realities. There are some people who never really thought that Covid was a risk. There are some people who, despite being vaccinated, are still taking many precautions. And there are all these people in the middle, if you will, who are vaccinated who are still being cautious in some way, but are really prioritizing, returning to normal. And so I think the role of businesses is to help their customers, their employees, with navigating the entire spectrum of what's possible and navigating the entire spectrum too, of what the needs are of their employees, recognizing that some of them just want to get back to normal and are fine coming to do everything in person and traveling because they have all already. But others, because of their own medical situations and medical circumstances of their families, may want to and very appropriately need to be taking additional precautions. Finally, I think there is a very important role for data, but data are a means to an end. And so I wouldn't wait for perfect information before acting on something that needs to be done for safety and to ensure a healthier workplace.

Dr. Wen, lastly, do you have any points you would like to make for our audience that I didn't ask you?

We've Talked a lot, Dr. Ji, and I've so appreciated this conversation focused on Covid. However, good health is not just about the absence of COVID Public health is not just about infection control. There are many parts of health that are about our physical well being, chronic diseases that have been not attended to because of the pandemic that I hope people will also focus on, including the fact that many of these conditions like hypertension and diabetes actually predispose to severe outcomes from COVID Or the fact that people are have been foregoing their dental checkups and their chemotherapy and cancer screenings because of fear of COVID And so we really have to focus on these other physical health issues as well as mental health. Mental health needs to be considered no differently than physical health and so much of mental health has also been worsened as a result of the pandemic as well as and so I hope that for employers going forward, for workers, for all of us, that we think about health in a holistic manner and really going forward prioritize physical and mental and spiritual and emotional well being.

Dr. Wen, what a great closing. Thank you so much for all the work that you do and for sharing your insights here with us together. Be well. We hope to see you again soon.

Thank you Dr. G. It's a pleasure to join you. Thank you for your wonderful work and thank you for bringing us together today.

Our thanks to Dr. G and Dr. Leanna Nguyen. We are so grateful for your safety guidance and smart advice in such an uncertain and rapidly changing time. Now, as we noted at the top of the show, Salesforce has taken a hard look at the desire we all have to get together safely as well as the science that defines how we can create environments that mitigate risk. The result is Safety Cloud.

Across every industry there are new health and safety challenges to navigate when in person and it can be difficult to get together safely. Salesforce Safety Cloud helps you create safer in person experiences at scale so everyone can feel more confident when getting together.

All right, so back to together again.

Attendees have a secure way to share their proof of COVID health status like their proof of COVID test results or Covid Vaccination. They can upload directly or connect to other digital health passes like Clear or Smart health cards. You can get health status information from third parties as well, like COVID test results directly from a lab. Safety Cloud streamlines all this information into a single view, making it easier for you to collect and verify. Next steps are simpler too. Safety Cloud can help you automate routine processes like mailing pre event COVID testing kits or sending alerts to your team automatically. And you can keep everyone in the loop by connecting to your marketing activities. Once someone's health status has been verified, Safety Cloud sends a secure multi factor credential to grant access to your on site location. Manage all this health status information from one location and bring employees and customers together safely with Safety Cloud from Salesforce.

Love this innovative concept that our colleagues have created. Total game changer for all of us who have missed getting together and who want to make sure we're doing it safely. Finally, on the subject of innovation, we want to share with you this example of how our friends at Jacobs were able to improve their user experience and strengthen the trust their customers place within them.

At Jacobs, we're trying to solve some of the world's most complex challenges.

This is everything from space exploration to solving the water crisis all around the world, to building a digital and connected infrastructure in our communities.

When I first started at Jacobs, we had disconnect across our systems. We needed the ability to connect everyone through data and to be able to really harness our collective teams aligning in a platform.

We needed something that was tailored to our business processes and that could continue to evolve and develop as we evolved and developed as an organization.

So we chose Salesforce because we had already implemented a CRM. But what it allowed us to do was also bring together our employees on the same platform that we were building our sales opportunities and pipeline.

So the digital employee experience allows us to open up our talent to the entire organization.

So no longer was it about just who I know and the network I created, but now we gave people the platform to really be able to harness the ability to tell their story and to raise their hand for those unique and exciting opportunities around the world that we have.

So it really helps us get the best and brightest people connected with the most important opportunities for our company to continue to grow and prosper. It allows us to upskill and reskill our employees and target them towards the work that we need. And we're using our employee experience platform to drive action and build a trusting relationship between the organization and employees so they feel their voices heard and they see us take action.

We really see Jacobs as a world where every employee can be themselves. They can grow, they can thrive and do some of the most incredible work.

Wow. That was terrific. Now listen, we'll be back soon with our next leading through change. Until then, please take care of yourself and each other.

This is Nisha.

This is her customer, Beth. And this is where Neisha goes to focus. She calls it her Beth tub.

But this is.

Sorry.

Pretty distracting.

I have to.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. That's why Salesforce Customer 360 helps you.

Focus with a single view of your customer.

Like Beth.

Honey.