Health Care Communicators of San Diego RSS Feed

HCC Presents: "OMG! I Need Another Plan" Luncheon, 2/26

Stacy Kadrich — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:32:44 GMT

HCC San Diego Presents:

"OMG! I Need Another Plan!"
Innovative Marketing Strategies for the New Decade

Friday, Feb. 26, 2010

Over the past few years, the economy has tanked. Layoffs are happening everywhere. Census is down. How does your hospital/health system react? Many providers have had to quickly develop “plan Bs” to weather the current crisis, but what's the best approach?

Join HCC and Jean Hitchcock, APR, vice president of marketing and communications for Scripps Health, as she discusses the many effects an economic downturn has on health care organizations. Learn how some institutions are thriving, and how they’ve leveraged the implementation of innovative marketing strategies for success. Find out how your organization can clearly communicate your message and the internal measurements of the success of that message.

Friday, Feb. 26, 2010
11:30 a.m. check-in and networking
12-1 p.m. presentation

Schaetzel Center, Founder’s Room
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
9888 Genesee Ave.
La Jolla, CA 92037

$20 HCC members, $25 non-members
Lunch provided

Click here to register today!

Visit us at www.hccsd.org

4-Feb-10 2:32 PM

HCC San Diego Welcomes New Board Member

Stacy Kadrich — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:18:19 GMT

Dear HCC San Diego Members,

I’m pleased to announce the addition of George Decker to the Health Care Communicators of San Diego County Board of Directors as newsletter chair.

George served as editor of Scripps Health's award-winning newsletter, "Inside Scripps," and wrote and photographed for publications at Children's Hospital of San Diego (now Rady Children's Hospital). As director of publications for the University of San Diego School of Law, he won numerous awards from the Public Relations Society of America, San Diego Chapter, and the San Diego County Bar Association for the school's alumni magazine. He also won a national award from the Society of Professional Journalists for best large chapter newsletter.

George will be responsible for our bi-monthly newsletter as well as establishing Facebook and Twitter accounts for HCC. Please join me in welcoming George to our board.

Visit our Web site, www.hccsd.org for more information and updates to our organization. Thank you for your continued support of HCC San Diego.

Sincerely,

Laura Gilbert
HCC President

11-Nov-09 7:18 PM

Stacy Kadrich — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:58:40 GMT

2-Oct-09 11:58 AM

Marketing to the Mature Marketplace: 6 Pathways to Success in Challenging Times

Don Marsh — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Written By:

Don Marsh

Independent Marketing Consultant

No matter how you read the statistics, the bottom line remains the same: These are challenging times. Even if the daily economic news wasn’t so grim, so often, there’s ample evidence to suggest it’s time to look outside the usual comfort zones when it comes to marketing healthcare services.

Newspaper ads have long been a staple for healthcare marketers. Now newspapers themselves are fast becoming a dying breed, as evidenced by a Pew Report™ ¹ that showed readership down more than 26% - in the last two years alone.

Yellow Page Ads are costly, with the results often difficult to track. And raise your hand if the response rate from your last direct mail campaign even came close to the former gold standard of a 2% return.

In an era when decreasing resources are more often than not matched up against increasing competition, nowhere is that challenge more complex than when your Target Audience is the Mature Marketplace.

One in Three Americans Over 50

We are approaching a unique moment in our nation’s history, when one in three Americans will be over the age of 50, with an estimated 75 million Americans between the age of 50 and 65 and another 40 million 65 and older.

As a result, the ability to understand and communicate with this vast Target Audience will be a pathway to long-term success for healthcare marketers, in times of economic challenge and beyond.

Five key concepts are considered universal truths in defining what motivates the Mature Marketplace. The more these concepts can be incorporated into not only marketing materials but also conversations with patients and family members, the more success will come by way of enhancing the patient experience and ensuring business growth.

The Five Key Concepts

Autonomy or Self-Sufficiency - Regaining the ability to pursue the interests and activities that age or illness may have taken away is a recurring theme in the Mature Marketplace. From a marketing perspective, offering choices as opposed to only one solution, whether in the way of medical treatment or even financing options, is a way to help older patients use their need for autonomy and self-sufficiency as part of the decision-making process.

Connectedness – This is an audience that have reached a station in life when “Trigger Events” begin to affect their everyday lives – children growing up, selling the family home, retiring from a long-enjoyed career, perhaps even losing a spouse. Because contact with patients is typically infrequent, handwritten notes, phone calls, newsletters and other means of B/C communication answer their need to stay connected to your staff, services and place of business.

Altruism - Fund-raising experts will tell you that people 50 and older traditionally make up the largest segment of any donor population. Engaging your health system, hospital or practice in community-based outreach programs or charitable activities, while at the same time encouraging patients to participate, will allow them to engage in this concept, defined as a concern for others.

Personal growth - The growth of organizations like Elder Hostels™ is a prime example of how important this concept is to the Mature Marketplace. It may also be the most easily understood, simply by drawing the connection between better health and the ability to enjoy new, enriching experiences. The moral here is that no matter how old we become, we never, ever, leave behind the need for personal growth.

Revitalization - One of the recommendations I offer clients when reviewing their marketing materials is to use models who appear to be 10 - 12 years younger than the Target Audience. This is a practical application of the fact that the older we are, the younger we still like to think of ourselves as being. Use this concept to reinforce the notion that better health leads to feeling younger and more alive again.

Physical Changes

Vision - Declining vision is often accompanied by an increased sensitivity to glare. Glare sensitivity impacts not only office design – bright white walls and harsh overhead lighting being the chief culprits in many of the offices I’ve visited as a marketing consultant- but marketing materials as well. Instead of gloss or enamel stocks, print them on matte or dull finishes that reflect less glare.

Because of the yellowing of the retina that occurs with the aging process, the ability to distinguish cool colors – blues, greens and violets – decreases over time. Use warm colors as accents, to create the visual and psychological impact you’re looking for. Using a minimum of 12 pt. type, indenting each paragraph and limiting paragraphs to two sentences or three lines will also help older eyes and minds retain the information being imparted.

Hearing - For many hearing-impaired people, the range of sounds heard over the telephone narrows to 600 cycles, as compared to a range of several thousand cycles for people without hearing problems. For men, the loss is often found in the higher frequencies, making women’s voices more difficult to understand. Speaking slowly, using shorter words, rephrasing often, and stopping to get feedback at regular intervals should be part of any “telephone-side” manner.

Cognitive Changes

Visual Memory vs. Verbal Memory - With aging, visual memory stays strong, while verbal memory, whether of the spoken or written word, declines. Long copy blocks in marketing materials or complex thoughts in conversations will be remembered less than short, descriptive word pictures that communicate a simple message. We are also visual creatures and become increasingly so as we age. As a result, the impact of lifestyle photographs showing people enjoying the benefits of better health – in office décor as well as marketing materials - will be much greater than any combination of the spoken and written word.

Left-brain vs. Right-Brain Thinking - Humans are born with significant, if unequal, capacities for both left-brain thinking, where logic resides, and right-brain thinking, where instinct resides. But as we grow older, there is an inexorable shift from left-brain to right-brain thinking.

The right side is the creative side of the brain. It deals with images, colors, and sensory inputs like music, art, and emotion. It’s the side where major influences like pictures, sounds, and smells are linked with positive, or sometimes negative, “cognitive association”.

As a result of this shifting, it is more fatiguing for older patients to make decisions affecting their lives by using the left, or logical, side of their brains to process facts and figures, words, and numbers. Instead, they become more reliant on making those decisions based on what their instincts allow them to “feel” rather than what their intellect suggests they should “know.”

Of the five human senses, the sense of smell is the one tied closest to memory. Some of the most successful offices I’ve visited have taken advantage of that little-known fact by strategically placing baked goods, beverages, scented candles, or other olfactoral stimuli as a means of eliciting positive, memory-conditioned responses to circumstances that can otherwise create an atmosphere of uncertainty, doubt, or fear.

Values-Based Communication

One of the most enjoyable, and I hope educational, moments during my presentation on “Marketing to the Mature Marketplace” often occurs during an interactive “Features and Benefits” exercise. In this exercise, I ask the audience to take a blank piece of paper and draw a vertical line down the middle. I then ask audience members to write “features” across the top left margin and “benefits” across the top right margin.

After explaining that, in the language of marketing, “features” are defined as the physical characteristics of a product or service, whereas “benefits” are defined as how those characteristics improve performance, I ask them to think of a specific product or service their business offers.

I then ask them to write three features of that product or service and three benefits opposite those features. Those answers usually list whatever qualities represent the USP of that product or service.

When that part of the exercise is over, I ask them to forget everything they just learned and imagine they are 18 years old once again and about to leave for college. Their next assignment is to write a letter to Mom and Dad, asking to borrow $10,000 for their first year’s college tuition.

The letters will almost never talk about the “features” of a college education – for example, majoring in Science, trying out for the baseball team or preparing for a career in healthcare. Neither will they describe the “benefits” of a college education – for example, becoming the head of a large corporation, earning a high salary or retiring in style.

What the letters always detail are the “values” of a college education - the writers in essence creating a universally understandable vision using words like “hopes,” “dreams,” and “futures.”

The lesson here is this: If features are the physical characteristics of a product or service and benefits are how those characteristics improve performance, then values are the emotional translation of how those products or services impact people’s lives.

And in no other segment of our society is it more important to address values—the core concepts by which all of us strive to live our lives while passing them on to future generations—than in the Mature Marketplace.

Wants vs. Needs vs. Values

Motivational experts will tell you there are three ways to influence human behavior: The least powerful is by addressing human needs. Addressing human wants is more powerful. But the most powerful way, by far, is by addressing human values. Again, nowhere is that process more important than in the Mature Marketplace.

Values-based communication is key to getting mature consumers emotionally and instinctively involved in the decision-making process. By doing so, the marketer creates an atmosphere of trust, which results in creating relationships that endure.

Be aware, though, that values are like fingerprints – all are similar, but no two are identical. Let everyone on staff who is in contact with patients know how important it is to create an atmosphere in which older patients feel comfortable talking about their values and how that leads to understanding them on a more personal level. Perhaps most important, it leads to a greater understanding of the qualities and ambitions that make them unique.

It’s an exercise that, at its core, becomes synergistic. Just as this empowers patients to feel comfortable with their own decisions, it also empowers those who interact with them to do a much better job at helping them make those decisions and ultimately improving their lives, because everyone involved now has an emotional investment in that extraordinary process.

Now, here are six proven, but often overlooked, methods of marketing to the Mature Marketplace, especially in challenging times:

Pathway #1 – Retention Marketing

One of the universal truths of marketing is that it costs 2-3x the $$$ to acquire a new customer than it costs to have that customer return. As a result, an ongoing Retention Marketing program is almost always at the core of any consulting services I provide clients with whom I work.

And that effort begins with mining their database.

Back in the ‘70s, non-profit organizations, in search of new ways to identify high potential donors while reducing their marketing costs, created a program known as RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) Modeling. In RFM Modeling, an entire database is divided into fifths, also known as quintiles, based on these three criteria. The result was an ability to create more targeted appeals that made best use of time and budgets.

For healthcare marketing professionals, that goal can also be reached by defining “Purchase Bias” - not just the “When” of a patient’s purchase history, but the “Why”. No matter which method you choose, by developing a variety of targeted sales letters, rather than working off the assumption that all customers are created equal, you’ll be creating a program that ensures consistent growth at a fraction of the cost.

Pathway #2 – Focus Groups

Most healthcare marketers are familiar with the concept of the “Consumer Seminar” as a means of informing a target audience and motivating them to take action. The Focus Group programs I’ve helped create were developed as a twist on the Consumer Seminar, the difference being they are targeted to current patients and not the community at large.

Focus Groups are basically exercises in Relationship Marketing, in which patients and spouses are invited to share their opinions about new technologies or procedures and ending with appointments being set in the days immediately following the sessions.

But these types of marketing programs have not only a “Retail” benefit, but an “Advisory” benefit as well. This Focus Group agenda also involves an exchange of opinions about sample marketing materials – not only yours, but the competitions’ as well.

We’re all good at what we do, but it’s the marketplace that decides how successful we become.

Getting immediate feedback in programs like these are an ideal way to learn what the marketplace is thinking and how best to make the adjustments needed for long-term success.

Pathway #3 – E-Marketing

According to a recent AARP survey, almost 60 million Americans over age 50 are now spending an average of 18 hour/week on the Internet. What began for many as an exercise in e-mailing is now a full-blown pursuit of products and services that can improve their lives – with an estimated 74% of those searches focusing on their own community.

But chances are your site not is the first place they’re going to look. “Power Pages” are one way to help solve that problem. These are 1-page “electronic sales letters” that drive people to your branding site.

For example, when people search for “(Your Town) healthcare”, they are transported to your Power Page that bears the name: (YourTown)Healthcare.com. Having read the information, they’re invited to offer their name and e-mail address. Two things happen afterward: They are transported to your main site and their contact information is forwarded to you for follow-up.

Because most web site visitors linger only a page or two before signing off, a good way to manage the flow of information is by making sure the “Landing Page”, the place they arrive at on your site, is the page with the key information – offers, value-addeds and the like - you want to impart. From that starting point, check to see what are the other most popular pages and place additional call-to-actions on those pages as well.

By now, most seasoned healthcare marketers are familiar with the various ways to market their sites: Pay-per-Click, SEO, Keyword searches, and Direct Referrals among the most popular. But for maximum results, it’s also important to monitor those results on a regular basis.

Conversion rates, meaning the percentage of leads that are generated from your site(s) as compared to the total leads, should begin with a goal of 5%. Bounce rates, or the percentage of visitors who “bounce” away to a different site should be on the order of 50%. And Opt-in rates, defined as the percentage of visitors who sign up for the offer posted on the site, should be targeted at a minimum of 3%.

Results that don’t match these targets suggest it’s time to take another look at your E-Marketing.

Back in the day, the axiom for smart direct marketers was “Test, test, test and modify”. E-Marketing is the new Direct Mail, so the same axiom applies.

Pathway #4 – Referral Programs

One of the solutions to the problem of not having the time or not feeling comfortable asking for patient referrals is in developing a hand-out that can serve as a reminder, long after the request has been made. A template I’ve used over the years is a simple two-sided piece, the first side basically reaffirming the patient’s decision and asking they pass this on to someone they know, the second side listing a series of premiums being offered to the person being referred.

Boundaries, both legal and ethical, rightly exist to limit the rewards that can be offered. But a gift certificate to a restaurant or movie tickets – examples of the everyday life activities that become more enjoyable with better health – not only brightens someone’s day but also serves as a soft testimonial that will continue to pay dividends long afterward in the way of continued referrals.

Pathway #5 – Community Outreach

Along with Free Media, which has the advantage of credibility over most forms of advertising, reaching out to the community is another way to market your healthcare system, hospital or practice in challenging times. When done correctly, the resulting goodwill simply cannot be measured in dollars.

Community Outreach programs can involve traditional options like health fairs, but more traction can be gained by working with local print and broadcast media on some kind of program that benefits the community, especially one that encourages patients to participate.

Understand that for the Mature Marketplace, the urge to give is usually “intergenerational”, meaning they are more likely to want to be involved in a charitable activity that supports either their own generation, or their grandchildren’s generation, rather than the generation in between.

Pathway #6 – Patient Outreach

The Mature Marketplace segment described in the accompanying chart as the “Matures” is, sadly, likely to be the last generation who cherish the printed word. The “Boomers”, however, have joined the generations that follow them in becoming fully versed in the various means of electronic communication where neither paper nor ink is required.

In addressing either segment, constantly reaching out, via printed and e-newsletters, personal notes, or even on occasion a surprise gift in commemoration of a birthday, anniversary or other significant personal event, keeps the 2-way flow of communication between you and your patients ongoing. It also answers dual needs – Connectedness for them and continued business growth for you.

¹ Pew Research Center for People and the Press – February, 2009

About the Author

Don Marsh is a San Diego-based marketing consultant with 35 years of experience. He is the author of one book, and more than 200 articles, published worldwide. As a marketing consultant and professional speaker, he has traveled to 42 states and eight foreign countries, providing customized marketing programs, along with lectures, workshops and seminars, to thousands of healthcare professionals.

The information in this article will be the focus of his presentation at the SHSMD Annual Conference in Orlando. Further information may be obtained by contacting him by e-mail at: marketingservices@sbcglobal.net, by telephone at 858-792-6553, or by visiting his Web site at: www.MatureMarketplace.com.

13-Sep-09 4:00 PM

HCC and SD Business Journal Invite You to Health Care Champions on 10/8

Stacy Kadrich — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:00:00 GMT

HCC invites you to attend

Health Care Champions, presented by San Diego Business Journal
October 8, 2009
Doubletree Hotel San Diego — Mission Valley
7450 Hazard Center Dr. San Diego, CA 92108
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Health Care Champions is an event and special supplement which recognizes individuals and/or organizations in the County of San Diego health care industry who are making a significant impact on the quality of health care.

Click Here to View Nominees in These Categories:
Health Care Management
Health Care Innovation & Research

Health Care Educator
Community Outreach
Physician
Nurse
Health Care Staff

Tickets:

Individual - $40

Group of 10 - $350

RSVP Today! To reserve your tickets, please contact Dale Ganzow at the San Diego Business Journal.

Contact Info: Dale Ganzow

p) 858-277-4832

e) dganzow@sdbj.com

25-Aug-09 9:00 PM

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15-Jan-08 8:55 AM

2007 Finest Awards Winners

noemail@hccsd.org — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:00:00 GMT

CATEGORY 1: ADVERTISING 1a: Multi-media Campaigns BRONZE: Christine Clay, Christina Barrila, Pamela Radke, Scripps Heart Care Campaign, Scripps Health SILVER: Sharp Marketing & Communications, Rich Badami & Associates, Fall 2007 Open Enrollment Campaign, Sharp HealthCare GOLD: Human Resources, Marketing & Communications, Scripps 2007, Recruitment Campaign, Scripps Health Single Page Ads SILVER: Ty Kennon , Mikel Wilson, Shaun Menestrina , Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery Program, Scripps Mercy Hospital GOLD: Jean Hitchcock, Christine Clay, Chrisina Barrila, Heroes: Firestorm 2007, Scripps Health Less than Page Ads BRONZE: Ty Kennon , Mikel Wilson, Shaun Menestrina, Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery Program, Scripps Mercy Hospital SILVER: Johnny Hagerman, Tania Masherah , Shaun Menestrina, Our Doctors Will See You Now print campaign, Scripps Clinic GOLD: Ty Kennon, Christina Barrila, Prostate Cancer Screenings, Scripps Mercy Hospital Unique Print...

Membership

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:20:37 GMT

Formed in 1977, Health Care Communicators of San Diego (HCC) was created to encourage the development of professionals in health care marketing, public relations, advertising and market research and planning, as well as to students in these fields of study. Our members represent a broad cross section of San Diego area professionals including hospitals and community clinics, health plans, medical device and pharmaceutical firms, advertising and public relations agencies, health care associations, freelance writers and graphic designers, video production firms and Web site developers.

From our informational luncheon meetings to our annual Finest Awards celebration, HCC gives members a variety of opportunities to network with their peers, share common interests, foster new professional relationships and learn about the latest trends and developments in health care communications.

Dues

Individual: $100 (Membership belongs to the individual and is kept regardless of employment)

Corporate: $100 (Membership belongs to the organization/position and can be transferred to another individual if employment status changes.)

Additional Corporate Memberships: $85 (For additional persons from the same organization. One full-price corporate membership must be purchased or currently active.)

Student: $25 (Currently enrolled full-time undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a career in health care public relations, marketing, advertising or market research. Proof of enrollment is required.)

Vendor/Sponsor: $150 (HCC allows a restricted membership for individuals and companies interested in networking with our members who are not involved in the practice of public relations, marketing or market research. Vendor/Sponsor members are not eligible to run for the board or vote for officers. All other benefits apply.)

Download a membership application and join today!

Find out more about joining HCC:

Member Application
Getting Involved
Member Resources

For membership questions, contact Membership Chair Feigue Rosenfeld, at olga.hays@yahoo.com

2009 HCC San Diego Finest Awards Winners

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:07:07 GMT

2009 Health Care Communicators of San Diego Finest Awards, Glitz & Glory: HCC Goes Hollywood View the list of winning entrees Duplicate Award Requests - Download Order Form The Dana Hotel on Mission Bay 1710 West Mission Bay Drive San Diego CA 92109 USA Presented by AMN Healthcare On April 15, 2010, Health Care Communicators presented its biggest, most paramount event of the year -- Finest Awards: Glitz & Glory: HCC Goes Hollywood. HCC San Diego and event attendees honored exceptional work produced in the field of health care communications. The categories included advertising campaigns, public relations campaigns, writing, publications/collateral/design, research, audio/visual programs, special events, online communication and off the wall marketing. 2009 Best In Show Award Winner: Ana's Story, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla 2009 HCC Communicator of the Year (COTY) Award Winner: Carol Burke Carol Burke, senior director of marketing and communications at...

The 2009 COTY Award Winner: Carol Burke

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 01:12:10 GMT

It was a night of Hollywood Glitz and Glamour at the 17th Annual Health Care Communicators (HCC) of San Diego Finest Awards, which took place on April 15, 2010 at The Dana Hotel on Mission Bay. The spotlight was on the night’s top honoree, Carol Burke, who received the 2009 Communicator of the Year (COTY) award. The COTY award is HCC’s most prestigious honor, given each year to recognize outstanding leadership, innovation, accomplishment and community service in effectively communicating health care issues. Carol Burke has more than 20 years of marketing and communications leadership experience, most recently as senior director of marketing and communications with AMN Healthcare, the largest temporary health care staffing company in the United States. Throughout her career, she has displayed a dedication and commitment to the field of communications—with a specific focus on health care. Carol has been with AMN HealthCare for nine years, and pivotal in managing the...

The COTY Award

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 01:11:23 GMT

Jean Hitchcock Receives 2008 Communicator of the Year Honor by Health Care Communicators of San Diego San Diego, Calif – March 12, 2009 – The 16th Annual Health Care Communicators (HCC) of San Diego Finest Awards took place on March 12th at The Dana Hotel on Mission Bay, situated on a peaceful, idyllic waterfront. The evening’s top honoree, Jean Hitchcock, was acknowledged by colleagues who offered endless waves of kudos, applause and ovations as she received the 2008 Communicator of the Year (COTY) award. The COTY award is the highest honor given each year to recognize outstanding leadership, innovation, accomplishment and community service in effectively communicating health care issues. Hitchcock, who serves as Corporate Vice President of Marketing & Communications for Scripps Health, has continued to demonstrate dynamic leadership since joining Scripps five years ago. Described as someone who “drives change with a delicate infusion of sophistication,...

Message from the President

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:51:33 GMT

Welcome to Health Care Communicators of San Diego and Imperial Counties -- the local chapter for the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development of the American Hospital Association (SHSMD). Our 140-plus members represent a wide range of health strategy disciplines including marketing, planning, communications, public relations, business development, physician relations, and government relations. We offer our members a vast range of professional development and recognition opportunities – and with each year, our programming gets stronger and more robust. HCC offers the biggest network for healthcare strategy professionals in San Diego – with networking and professional development events held all year long. HCC’s expanded professional development offerings include a wide array of programs bringing some of the country’s foremost professional speakers to discuss topics that affect our industry today. We engage our members in friendly...

7th Annual HCC/AMN Scholarship Essay Contest

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:18:57 GMT

Dear Student, As the only local organization of its kind representing the health care, biotech and medical device industries through advertising, marketing, graphic design and public relations, Health Care Communicators (HCC) of San Diego is proud to annually recognize success in the field of communications at the Finest Awards - the highlight of which is presenting one student with a scholarship for their passion for health care. In conjunction with AMN Healthcare, the title sponsor of this year's Finest Awards, HCC is pleased to invite you to participate in the 7th Annual HCC/AMN Scholarship Essay Contest. High school seniors and college students currently enrolled in a San Diego County school who plan to enter the field of health care upon graduation are invited to enter the contest for the opportunity to win a $1,500 scholarship, courtesy of AMN Healthcare. The winner will also be recognized in front of many of health care industry's leading communications professionals...

2008 Finest Awards

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:28:24 GMT

Heath Care Communicators of San Diego’s 2008 Finest Awards Presented by AMN Healthcare Congratulations to the 2008 Finest Awards winners! The winners for the 2008 HCC Finest Awards: Making Waves in Health Care Communications were announced on March 12 at the awards dinner. The evening of surprise and celebration took place at the beautiful Dana Hotel on Mission Bay, where 150 guests gathered. An esteemed panel of 15 judges from Health Care Public Relations and Marketing Association (HPRMA) of Orange County had over 160 submissions to pick from. Up to three awards were given in 9 categories. The categories included advertising campaigns, public relations campaigns, writing, publications/collateral/design, research, audio/visual programs, special events, online communication and off the wall (for projects that don't fall into any of the above categories). Two special awards were also given this year. The recipient of the Best In Show award was Lisa Pautler from AMN...

Membership Resources

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:09:09 GMT

Check out these useful organizations and resources for HCC members:

American Marketing Association, San Diego
www.sdama.org

International Association of Business Communicators, San Diego Chapter

http://sandiego.iabc.com/

Public Relations Society, San Diego
www.prsasandiego.org

San Diego Organization of Healthcare Leaders
www.sohl.info/Home.htm

Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development
(of the American Hospital Association)
www.shsmd.org

Getting Involved

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:33:08 GMT

Health Care Communicators (HCC) of San Diego encourages its members to attend meetings and to join one of the various committees throughout the year or to plan on joining the organization's board. Board positions are nominated in the fall, with voting and appointments taking place each February. To inquire about a board position, contact HCC President Laura Gilbert. Eligibility: Anyone involved in the practice of public relations (media, government, and community relations), marketing, advertising or market research in the health care, biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device industries in San Diego and Imperial counties, Southwest Riverside County (Temecula area) or Baja California, Mexico, is eligible to be an active member of HCC. Membership terms begin on the date dues are paid and expires exactly one year later. Unlike other professional associations, you may join at any time during the year and your renewal is due 12 months later. Committees As mentioned above, several...

Images of the Finest Awards 2008

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:47:09 GMT

Enjoy some pictures taken at the 2008 Finest Awards:Making Waves in Health Care Communications!

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noemail@hccsd.org — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:55:00 GMT

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Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:54:31 GMT