Healthcare awareness calendar: 2020 highlights

Here are the days, weeks and months set aside to raise awareness or recognize healthcare conditions and workers.

January

  • National Blood Donor Month
  • National Glaucoma Awareness Month
  • National Volunteer Blood Donor Month 
  • Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
  • National Birth Defects Prevention Month

Weeks to note:

  • Jan. 19-25: National Activities Professional Week

Days to note:

  • Jan. 25: National Intravenous Nurse Day

February

  • American Heart Month
  • AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month
  • National Cancer Prevention Month
  • National Senior Independence Month 

Weeks to note:

  • Feb. 1-7: Patient Recognition Week
  • Feb. 3-7: Pride in Food Service Week
  • Feb. 9-15: National Cardiac Rehabilitation Week
  • Feb. 14-21: Alzheimer's and Dementia Staff Education Week 

Days to note:

  • Feb. 7: National Wear Red Day

March

  • National Social Worker's Month
  • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
  • Brain Injury Awareness Month
  • National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
  • Save Your Vision Month 
  • National Social Work Month
  • National Women's History Month
  • National Nutrition Month

Weeks to note:

  • March 8-14: National Patient Safety Awareness Week
  • March 8-14: National Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week 
  • March 9-13: Long Term Care Administrators Week 

Days to note:

  • March 11: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day
  • March 19: Certified Nurses Day
  • March 19: World Social Work Day 
  • March 20: World Oral Health Day
  • March 24: The American Diabetes Association Alert Day
  • March 30: National Doctor's Day

April

  • Counseling Awareness Month
  • National Occupational Therapy Month 
  • National Parkinson's Awareness Month 
  • National Cancer Control Month 
  • Stress Awareness Month 

Weeks to note:

  • April 6-12: National Public Health Week 
  • April 19-25: National Volunteer Week 
  • April 19-24: Administrative Professionals Week 

Days to note:

  • April 7: World Health Day
  • April 16: National Healthcare Decisions Day
  • April 22: Earth Day 
  • April 22: Administrative Professionals' Day 
  • April 23: Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day

May

  • Older Americans Month
  • Oncology Nursing Month
  • Better Hearing and Speech Month 
  • Employee Health and Fitness Month 
  • Healthy Vision Month
  • National American Stroke Month 
  • National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month 
  • National High Blood Pressure Education Month
  • National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness Month
  • National Mental Health Month

Weeks to note:

  • May 6-12: National Nurses Week
  • May 10-16: National Hospital Week 
  • May 10-16: National Skilled Nursing Care Week 
  • May 10-16: National Women's Health Week

June

  • Migraine Awareness Month
  • National Safety Month
  • Cataract Awareness Month
  • Men's Health Month

Weeks to note:

  • June 15-21: National Men's Health Week 
  • June 18-24: National Nursing Assistants Week

Days to note:

  • June 7: Cancer Survivors Day 
  • June 13: Family Health & Fitness Day 
  • June 18: National Career Nursing Assistants' Day
  • June 27: National HIV Testing Day 

July

  • Eye Injury Prevention Month
  • UV Safety Month 

Weeks to note:

  • July 5-11: National Therapeutic Recreation Week 
  • July 20-24: Forensic Healthcare Week

Days to note:

  • July 26: National Parents' Day

August

  • National Immunization Awareness Month
  • Medic Alert Awareness Month 

Weeks to note:

  • Aug. 23 – 29: Health Unit Coordinators Week

Days to note:

  • Aug. 4: National Night Out 

September

  • Pain Awareness Month
  • Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
  • Healthy Aging Month
  • National Cholesterol Education Month
  • National Sickle Cell Awareness Month 
  • Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma Awareness Month 
  • National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month
  • National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 
  • National Preparedness Month
  • National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 

Weeks to note:

  • Sept. 6-12: Environmental Services and Housekeeping Week
  • Sept. 13-19: National Assisted Living Week

Days to note:

  • Sept. 13: National Grandparents Day

October

  • National Physical Therapy Month
  • American Pharmacists Month
  • Breast Cancer Awareness Month
  • National Dental Hygiene Month 
  • National Chiropractic Month
  • Residents' Rights Month

Weeks to note:

  • Oct. 4-10: National Mental Illness Awareness Week 
  • Oct. 5-9: Customer Service Week 
  • Oct. 6-12: National Physician Assistant(s) Week
  • Oct. 4-10: National Fire Prevention Week 
  • Oct. 21-25: National Health Education Week 
  • Oct. 20-26: National Healthcare Quality Week 
  • Oct. 20-26: National Respiratory Care Week
  • Oct. 25 – 31: National Pastoral Care Week

Days to note:

  • Oct. 8: National Depression Screening Day
  • Oct. 10: World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 
  • Oct. 10: World Mental Health Day
  • Oct. 15: Global Handwashing Day
  • Oct. 16: National Boss's Day
  • Oct. 24: Make A Difference Day

November

  • National Hospice and Palliative Care Month
  • National Family Caregivers Month
  • National Home Health Care Month
  • National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
  • American Diabetes Month 

Weeks to note:

  • Nov. 14-20: Home Care Aide Week

Days to note:

  • Nov. 5 – National Volunteer Managers Day 
  • Nov. 11: Veterans Day
  • Nov. 14: World Diabetes Day
  • Nov. 19: The Great American Smokeout Day

December

Weeks to note:

  • Dec. 1-7: National Hand Washing Awareness Week 

Days to note:

  • Dec. 1: World AIDS Day

Note: This is not an exhaustive list.

Sources:

1. National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization:
https://www.nhpco.org/resources/community-outreach-tools/community-outreach-tools-health-observance-dates 

2. American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living:
https://www.ahcancal.org/events/Documents/2020%20Healthcare%20Observances%20Calendar.pdf 

3. Globalhandwashingday.org:
https://globalhandwashing.org/global-handwashing-day/ 

4. HHS:
https://www.hhs.gov/opa/reproductive-health/health-observances/index.html

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