SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., February 2, 2021 — Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is piloting a new Matrix Medical Network® (Matrix) program that assesses, addresses, verifies and monitors the effectiveness of the company’s efforts to protect workers from COVID-19.

More than a dozen Tyson Foods plant locations, including some of the company’s largest facilities, are participating. Six have already received safety verification and seven more are in the process of being assessed.

The Matrix certification program was developed in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, one of the nation’s largest health systems and is designed to help verify and monitor that businesses are taking appropriate measures to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

The program takes a multi-disciplinary approach to workplace safety verification that includes:

• On-site assessments based on the latest guidelines from the CDC, OSHA and state regulations
• Best-in-class protocols based on the well-established clinical and industry expertise of Cleveland Clinic and Matrix
• Actionable recommendations to address identified health and safety gaps
• Ongoing updates on evolving COVID-19 guidance and regulations

Certification assesses people, processes and structure. It also involves analysis of workplace policies and procedures, as well as areas where people gather, including density, traffic flow, ventilation and physical proximity. A safety verification seal indicating alignment to certification standards, once granted, is issued for a year and includes another on-site assessment after six months to ensure continued compliance with current guidelines.

“Our company has made tremendous progress in our efforts to protect our team members by transforming our facilities and implementing an always-on testing strategy,” said Tom Brower, senior vice president of Health & Safety for Tyson Foods. “We believe this certification by outside health experts confirms we’re using best-in-class measures to combat the virus. And, what we learn from the plants where we’re piloting this program can also be applied at other company locations across the country.”

“Matrix has been working closely with Tyson since the beginning of the pandemic setting up mobile health clinics, conducting risk assessments, and collaborating with the company on testing strategies,” said Matrix Chief Medical Officer Daniel Castillo, M.D. “The new certification program brings together the Matrix risk assessment and Covid-19 experience and the deep clinical expertise of Cleveland Clinic to establish and sustain healthy, safe, and productive workplaces for Tyson employees.”

The certification program is the latest in a series of continuous improvement measures Tyson Foods has taken to fight new waves of COVID-19. During fiscal 2020, the company invested $540 million to transform its U.S. facilities with protective measures, from walk-through temperature scanners and workstation dividers to social distance monitors and always-on testing, as well as provide additional team member pay and benefits.  Tyson Foods has also expanded its health services staff, added a chief medical officer and plans to pilot health clinics for team members and their families early this year.

Earlier this month, Tyson Foods announced that it is also partnering with Matrix to ensure the company’s U.S. team members are educated about and have access to COVID-19 vaccines.

For more information on the certification program, visit https://mmnprd.wpengine.com/certification/.

About Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp®, and State Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 139,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit TYSONFOODS.COM to learn more.

About Matrix Medical Network

Matrix Medical Network is a leader in supporting the needs of at-risk populations. Matrix has worked with millions of individuals across the country to assess and help them manage their health risks through a network of more than 3,000 clinicians and a fleet of mobile health clinics. The organization’s unmatched network of health care professionals meets individuals where they work and live to assess health and safety, identify and close care gaps, and offer life-changing services that activate them to manage their own health. With its deep roots in clinical assessment and care management services, Matrix was uniquely positioned to rapidly respond to the spread of COVID-19 with clinically based services to employers providing essential services to keep or return their workforces to their worksites. Today, Matrix offers customizable solutions including on-site clinics, viral testing, contact tracing, environmental assessments, clinical consultations, vaccine administration, clinical trial support, and access to an expert clinical advisory panel. Matrix services leading companies across a wide range of industries including food manufacturing, defense manufacturing, government, retail, higher education, distribution, entertainment, and others.  For more information, visit www.matrixmedicalnetwork.com.

*Matrix Medical Network is the registered trademark of Community Care Health Network, LLC.  Community Care Health Network, LLC is an affiliate of Matrix Consulting Group, LLC.

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Matrix Media Contact:

Elissa Johnsen
EJJ Communications, LLC on behalf of Matrix Medical Network
[email protected]
312-285-3203

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., January 13, 2021 — Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is partnering with Matrix Medical Network^® (Matrix) to ensure the company’s U.S. team members are educated about and have access to the COVID-19 vaccines. Matrix will collaborate with Tyson Foods’ health services team to deploy mobile health clinics and expert clinical staff to support vaccine communications, administration and counseling at Tyson Foods facilities beginning in early 2021 and continuing throughout the year. Tyson Foods will provide team members with third-party education information in multiple languages from resources such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control about the vaccines and vaccination process.

“Providing vaccine education and accessibility is a critical part of our ongoing commitment to put the health and safety of our team members first,” said Dean Banks, president and CEO, Tyson Foods.

Because the availability of the vaccine will vary by state, the company is committed to a long-term strategy that ensures any team member who wants a vaccine will receive one. Vaccines will be administered at the earliest opportunity following guidance from health officials and in sufficient quantities to ensure effective scheduling and delivery. Tyson will strongly encourage employees to take the vaccination.

“Tyson and Matrix have worked together throughout the pandemic to create clinically driven strategies to mitigate the risk of the virus in the workplace,” said Dr. Daniel Castillo, M.D., chief medical officer, Matrix Medical Network. “Providing vaccinations and healthcare monitoring to Tyson employees is the next step in a comprehensive approach to fighting COVID-19 and establishing new ways of maintaining workplace health and safety for the future.”

“Tyson workers are bravely serving on the frontlines so that millions of families can put food on the table during this crisis. Protecting these essential workers is vital to keeping our nation’s food supply secure as the pandemic worsens, and this new Tyson partnership is a critical step toward achieving that,” said Mark Lauritsen, vice president, United Food and Commercial Workers International. “As the largest union for America’s food processing workers, UFCW will continue to work with industry leaders like Tyson in a unified effort to expedite vaccinations for workers who are essential to keeping our communities strong at this critical point in the pandemic.”

Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of steps the company has taken to fight new waves of the coronavirus, including the strategic testing of workers without symptoms. The company has invested more than $540 million to transform its U.S. facilities with protective measures, from walk-through temperature scanners and workstation dividers to social distance monitors and always-on testing, as well as provide additional team member pay and benefits. It is also working with outside health experts, expanding its health services staff, and plans to pilot health clinics for team members and their families early this year.

Tyson Foods is using testing as a tool and estimates more than half of its workforce has been tested for COVID-19. The company is currently testing thousands of workers per week as part of its industry-leading monitoring strategy. In addition to testing those with symptoms or who have been in close contact with someone who has the virus, the company is also proactively testing workers who have no symptoms.

Tyson has hired a chief medical officer and an additional 200 nurses and administrative staff this year, which means the company now has an occupational health staff of almost 600. These medical professionals screen for symptoms, conduct testing and track cases to help care for team members if they become ill. Tyson Foods’ medical professionals work with health and government officials and team members as part of the company’s efforts to help communities where we operate better understand the coronavirus and the protective measures that can be taken to help prevent spread. Long-term, these professionals will provide support for the company’s overall team member health and wellness efforts.

About Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp®, and State Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 139,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit TYSONFOODS.COM to learn more.

About Matrix Medical Network

Matrix Medical Network is a leader in supporting the needs of at-risk populations. Matrix has worked with millions of individuals across the country to assess and help them manage their health risks through a network of more than 3,000 clinicians and a fleet of mobile health clinics. The organization’s unmatched network of health care professionals meets individuals where they work and live to assess health and safety, identify and close care gaps, and offer life-changing services that activate them to manage their own health. With its deep roots in clinical assessment and care management services, Matrix was uniquely positioned to rapidly respond to the spread of COVID-19 with clinically based services to employers providing essential services to keep or return their workforces to their worksites. Today, Matrix offers customizable solutions including on-site clinics, viral testing, contact tracing, environmental assessments, clinical consultations, vaccine administration, clinical trial support, and access to an expert clinical advisory panel. Matrix services leading companies across a wide range of industries including food manufacturing, defense manufacturing, government, retail, higher education, distribution, entertainment, and others.  For more information, visit www.matrixmedicalnetwork.com.

*Matrix Medical Network is the registered trademark of Community Care Health Network, LLC.  Community Care Health Network, LLC is an affiliate of Matrix Consulting Group, LLC which provides environmental assessments.

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Matrix Media Contact:

Elissa Johnsen
EJJ Communications, LLC on behalf of Matrix Medical Network
[email protected]
312-285-3203

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., December 1, 2020 — Matrix Medical Network^® (Matrix) today announced a certification program to assist businesses and organizations assess, address, certify, and monitor work environments to help minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The certification developed in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic brings together the Matrix risk assessment and COVID-19 experience and the deep clinical expertise of the Cleveland Clinic, to apply comprehensive guidelines to establish and sustain healthy, safe, and productive workplaces.

The certification program follows a multi-disciplinary approach to workplace safety, including:

• On-site assessments based on the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and state regulations
• Best-in-class protocols based on the well-established clinical and industry expertise of the Cleveland Clinic and Matrix
• Actionable recommendations to address identified health and safety gaps
• Official certification following alignment to certification standards
• Ongoing updates on evolving COVID-19 guidance and regulations

“Matrix has been providing environmental health assessments to some of America’s leading companies since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, leveraging our experience in risk assessment to help clients resume business operations in a safe and appropriate manner,” said Matrix Chief Medical Officer Daniel Castillo, M.D. “We are pleased to be working with the Cleveland Clinic on the certification program. The Cleveland Clinic will be actively involved in assessments, results reviews, and recommendations, ensuring our work incorporates the best clinical advice available.”

Certification assesses people, processes, and structure. It includes policies and procedures, as well as all aspects of a workplace or other environments where people gather including density, traffic flow, ventilation, and physical proximity to other risks. Upon certification, organizations will receive a formal seal that can be displayed to provide confidence in their environment to their employees, customers, and other stakeholders.

“Working together with Matrix to bring our combined expertise will help support healthy outcomes for employers, employees, and patrons of the companies we support.” said James Merlino, M.D., Chief of Clinical Transformation of Cleveland Clinic.

For more information on the certification program, visit https://mmnprd.wpengine.com/certification/.

About Matrix Medical Network

Matrix Medical Network is a leader in supporting the needs of at-risk populations. Matrix has worked with millions of individuals across the country to assess and help them manage their health risks through a network of more than 3,000 clinicians and a fleet of mobile health clinics. The organization’s unmatched network of health care professionals meets individuals where they work and live to assess health and safety, identify and close care gaps, and offer life-changing services that activate them to manage their own health. With its deep roots in clinical assessment and care management services, Matrix was uniquely positioned to rapidly respond to the spread of COVID-19 with clinically based services to employers providing essential services to keep or return their workforces to their worksites. Today, Matrix offers customizable solutions including on-site clinics, viral testing, contact tracing, environmental assessments, clinical consultations, vaccine administration, clinical trial support, and access to an expert clinical advisory panel. Matrix services leading companies across a wide range of industries including food manufacturing, defense manufacturing, government, retail, higher education, distribution, entertainment, and others.  For more information, visit www.matrixmedicalnetwork.com.

*Matrix Medical Network is the registered trademark of Community Care Health Network, LLC.  Community Care Health Network, LLC is an affiliate of Matrix Consulting Group, LLC which provides environmental assessments.

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Matrix Media Contacts:

Elissa Johnsen
EJJ Communications, LLC on behalf of Matrix Medical Network
[email protected]
312-285-3203

Megan Manzari
Public Relations Supervisor, Dixon Schwabl
[email protected]
585-899-3244

Machine learning drives smarter pooled testing strategies

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 4, 2020 – Matrix Medical Network has partnered with Berkeley Data Ventures to improve the availability and ease of COVID-19 testing by combining the power of machine learning and pooled testing. The new solution, driven by machine learning algorithms, will enable more individuals to be tested, more often, through strategic pooled testing.

“Frequent testing, for example at a school or workplace, is both costly and a real challenge given limited testing capacity,” said Dr. Daniel Castillo, Chief Medical Officer, Matrix Medical Network. “Our partnership with Berkeley Data Ventures combines our clinical knowledge and their machine learning expertise to tackle this problem by establishing new and smarter protocols that allow more frequent testing.”

Matrix has administered more than 30,000 coronavirus tests since the onset of the pandemic. Of those who tested positive, many were asymptomatic. These asymptomatic, and pre-symptomatic, carriers add an additional layer to the challenge of detecting infected individuals. The algorithms devised by Berkeley Data Ventures leverage key data to identify the optimal testing strategy by assessing individual prevalence and correlation risk to show who would, and who would not, benefit from pooled testing.

“Pooled testing using machine learning allows us to get on the offensive of COVID-19 testing by allowing for efficient testing at high frequency,” said Ned Augenblick, Associate Professor Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. “One of the keys to the pooled testing algorithm is understanding who is more likely to be positive and separating them from those that are likely to be negative.”

Pooled testing can drastically help businesses boost testing capabilities. For example, if 20 individuals with a high likelihood of being negative were all pooled together for testing and no infection is detected, all of them are cleared using one test versus 20 individual tests. The strategy is to put people who are unlikely to be infected into a larger pool, and those that are likely to be infected into a much smaller pool, or even an individual test.

As businesses, universities and other organizations look to operate safely within the environment of COVID-19, frequent testing, along with the use of PPE and social distancing, is one of the most crucial strategies to have in place.

About Matrix Medical Network

Matrix Medical Network is a leader in supporting the needs of at-risk populations. Matrix has worked with millions of individuals across the country to assess and help them manage their health risks through a network of more than 3,000 clinicians and fleet of mobile health clinics. The clinical services organization’s unmatched network of healthcare professionals meets individuals where they live and work to assess health and safety, identify and close care gaps and offer life-changing services that activate them to manage their own health.

Matrix has deep roots in clinical assessment and care management services that improve health outcomes, while helping clients manage risks and connect individuals to more options for the care and support they need. Matrix combines leading-edge technologies and proprietary platforms to harness the massive amounts of data captured to drive better clinical decision-making, improving outcomes and satisfaction while reducing the cost of care. For more information, visit www.matrixmedicalnetwork.com.

About Berkeley Data Ventures

Berkeley Data Ventures was founded to help solve some of the biggest challenges in health care. The team brings years of academic experience studying behavioral economics, machine learning, causal inference and how these tools apply to health and health care as well as deep industry and government experience. Berkeley Data Ventures partners with companies trying to create truly unique solutions that generate massive value and change the health care system by bridging the gap between data analytics and strategy to build technology solutions and deploy them with measurable impact.

Media Contact

David Goodspeed
Director, Marketing & Communications, Matrix Medical Network
[email protected]
480.286.1311

Megan Manzari
Public Relations Supervisor, Dixon Schwabl
[email protected]
585.899.3244

Initiatives part of ongoing health and safety efforts to combat COVID-19

Springdale, Ark. – July 30, 2020 – As part of its commitment to team member safety and continually evolving efforts to protect workers from COVID-19, Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is launching a new, industry-leading monitoring program and expanding its occupational health staff, including a new chief medical officer position.

The comprehensive COVID monitoring strategy was designed with the assistance of outside medical experts and includes ongoing, data driven COVID testing of workers without symptoms, as well as those who exhibit certain symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has the virus.

“While the protective measures we’ve implemented in our facilities are working well, we remain vigilant about keeping our team members safe and are always evaluating ways to do more,” said Donnie King, Tyson Foods group president and chief administrative officer.

“We believe launching a new, strategic approach to monitoring and adding the health staff to support it will help further our efforts to go on the offensive against the virus,” he said. “Adding more resources and technologies reinforces our commitment to protecting our team members, their families and plant communities.”

Tyson Foods has been using TESTING AS A TOOL to protect workers and has likely been involved in more testing than any other company in the country. Already having tested nearly a third of its workforce, the company plans to test thousands of workers every week across all of its facilities. Currently, less than one percent of Tyson Foods’ U.S. workforce of 120,000 team members has active COVID-19. The company is continually tracking active COVID-19 cases involving company team members as well as the case levels in the communities where the company operates.

The new monitoring strategy Tyson Foods is implementing was designed with input from MATRIX MEDICAL and is consistent with CDC guidance.

To support the effort, Tyson Foods has created a chief medical officer position and plans to add almost 200 nurses and administrative support personnel to supplement the more than 400 people currently part of the company’s health services team. The additional nurses will conduct the on-site testing and assist with case management, coordinating treatment for team members who contract the virus.

“What we’re adopting is a strategic, ongoing approach to combatting COVID-19,” said King. “It involves weekly testing of team members at our facilities to monitor for the presence of the virus. By using data science to test a statistically sound sample of team members, we have a better chance of staying ahead of any potential virus spread and protecting our teams and communities.”

“As the largest union for America’s meatpacking workers, we welcome this important step by Tyson Foods, which demonstrates the leadership needed to strengthen COVID monitoring across the industry,” said United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International President Marc Perrone. “UFCW is urging all companies in the industry to follow Tyson’s lead and take immediate action to expand COVID monitoring as we work to flatten the curve. Together, we will continue to look for new and better ways to protect the health and safety of the brave frontline workers who are so important to the nation’s food production system.”

The testing program includes three categories:

• Strategic, always-on monitoring. Team members who have no symptoms may be selected for testing based on an algorithm-based selection process. The number tested each week will be dynamic and adjusted based on factors, such as the number of positive cases involving plant workers as well as people in the community.
• Symptomatic team members. The company conducts health screenings daily as team members arrive for work. Those found to have symptoms will be tested using CDC GUIDANCE.
• Close contacts. Team members who have come into close contact with co-workers (or non-Tyson personnel in the workplace) who have symptoms or have tested positive will be tested according to CDC guidance.

“We’ve been piloting this program at several of our facilities and have seen great success,” said King. “Our team members tell us they feel especially supported by this scientifically sound combination of testing and monitoring.”

Medical experts believe this monitoring approach is the best way to screen for COVID-19 in an ongoing way that helps determine the prevalence of the virus and how to keep it under control. It will especially be helpful in identifying team members who have the virus but are not showing any symptoms.

“The new monitoring program we helped Tyson create is a science-first approach that’s really on the cutting edge of how workplaces can best mitigate the risk of the virus,” said Dr. Daniel Castillo, chief medical officer for Matrix Medical Network, which has assisted in the development of the advanced testing protocols. “You’ll likely see many others adopt a similar approach in the coming months because it’s a process that looks both at people showing symptoms as well as those who do not.”

Worker health and safety is Tyson Foods’ top priority. The company formed a coronavirus task force in January and has since transformed its food production facilities with protective measures, from SYMPTOM SCREENINGS and FACE MASKS, to workstation dividers and SOCIAL DISTANCE MONITORS.

Tyson Foods has given PLANT TOURS to GOVERNMENT LEADERS, and officials from the CDC and LULAC, the nation’s largest and oldest Hispanic organization, so they could see the measures the company has put place. LULAC has acknowledged that Tyson Foods has “made significant strides.”

About Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods, Inc. is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp® and State Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 141,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit TYSONFOODS.COM.

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Contact: GARY MICKELSON, 479-236-9022