O'Dwyer's October 2025 Healthcare & Medical PR Magazine

ELIMINATING SILOS IN HEALTHCARE PR HOW LIFESTYLE STORIES ARE RESHAPING HEALTH COVERAGE WHEN TO SPEAK UP ON SOCIAL ISSUES

CLARIFYING PURPOSE IN PUBLIC HEALTH COMMS. THE FIRST 48 HOURS AFTER A DATA BREACH

THE MESSAGING HEALTHCARE LEADERS MUST ADOPT FOR 2026

MASTERING THE J.P. MORGAN HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE WHAT BOARDS WANT WHEN THEY DEMAND ‘AWARENESS’ PRIORITIZING TRUST IN STRATEGIC HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS CAN BRANDS STILL BENEFIT FROM DEI? WHY HOURLY PAY IN PR IS BAD FOR BUSINESS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Fraser Seitel

GUEST COLUMN Paul Oestreicher

January: Crisis Comms. / Buyer’s Guide

March: Food & Beverage

May: PR Firm Rankings

July: Travel, Tourism & International

August: Financial, I.R. & Prof. Services

October: Healthcare & Medical

November: Technology & AI

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The left and the right deserve each other

Ican’t think of another time in recent memory when the left and the right have conveniently flipped their positions on a key issue facing our public discourse, revealing the limits of their ideological commitments in the process and proving to the world that both cohorts reside in a confabulation of reality, one where hypocrisy is the only consistent value.

To wit: The murder of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk, which now has Republicans—including Vice President J.D. Vance—actively encouraging Americans to contact the employers of anyone who made light of Kirk’s death. This is an astonishing development, considering conservatives’ opposition to cancel culture has been a cornerstone of their platform for the past decade.

Meanwhile, after years of repeating the mantra that “cancel culture doesn’t exist”—apparently, they’d never read “The Scarlet Letter” or heard of the McCarthy-Era blacklists of the 1950s—the left is now throwing a collective tantrum over the fact that scores of its ranks have lost their jobs for saying untoward things about Kirk. This is an equally puzzling about-face, considering those of us without selective amnesia recall that same group trawling the Internet for “problematic” content and gleefully participating in recreational call-out campaigns whereby peoples’ lives were ruined for sport, which, just weeks ago, included labeling actress Sydney Sweeney a “racist” over her appearance in a silly jeans commercial.

It’s as though two social clubs updated their terms and conditions, and their respective members dutifully followed orders by instantly altering their suite of beliefs. Why support our arguments with reason when we can emotionally overload them instead? Who cares about developing a consistent set of values when the loudest voice in the room always wins? Truth is now determined by committee. Politics is sports—and we root for the home team every time.

And so, after years of crying “censorship!” conservatives are now stealing a page from the left’s playbook to become our latest outrage inquisitors. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to pull ABC’s license after TV host Jimmy Kimmel made a bad joke about the politicization of Kirk’s murder, causing that broadcaster to temporarily suspend Kimmel’s show. Attorney General Pam Bondi implied the Justice Department could prosecute anyone guilty of “hate speech,” because apparently the country’s highest-ranking lawyer doesn’t understand our First Amendment. Of course, the idea that conservatives were ever vanguards of free speech is laughable, if you recall the McCarthy witch-hunts, or how the FBI went after Civil Rights leaders in the ’60s, or the various fainting-couch routines throughout the ’80s and ’90s regarding everything from heavy-metal albums to gay characters on TV shows. In recent years, we’ve seen book bans and lawsuits against social media companies for deplatforming President Trump during his first term. Even Elon Musk proved he wasn’t the “free speech absolutist” he claimed to be when he began suspending X accounts that held views he disagreed with. “Freedom of speech—unless I think you’re wrong!”

The right doesn’t hold the trademark on moral inconsistency. Consider how the left took a cue from the right and began circulating the nuttiest conspiracy theories imaginable in the wake of Kirk’s death, claiming his killer was a fringe right-winger who wanted Kirk dead for not being conservative enough. And instead of admitting their error when presented with overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they doubled down, because, as it turns out, they’re just as desperate as conservatives for information that confirms their preexisting biases. People on the left aren’t wrong when they highlight various cultlike elements within the Trump world, but clearly, the left has built a cult of its own. They equate disagreement with “harm,” and they claim tolerance and diversity are linchpins of their beliefs—until it comes to tolerating viewpoints with which they disagree. Apparently, wanting someone dead for the words they use is an example of such “tolerance” in action, although I wonder if they’ve considered the obvious ways in which living in such a world wouldn’t be ideal for them either, or if they realize that anytime you want someone forcibly silenced for their words, you’re making a tacit admission that your words clearly weren’t enough for the task.

Similarly, the right wants us to (understandably) see the humanity in what happened in Kirk’s killing, yet two months earlier, (callously) resorted to universal indifference—and even cruel jokes—when a right-wing lunatic assassinated the former Minnesota House Speaker in her home along with her husband, which is the same behavior the right is accusing the left of now. And while we’re at it, where’s the right’s indignation about gun violence anytime kids are killed in our schools? Or consider how conservatives cheered on Trump for his frivolous lawsuit against the New York Times or for sending the Justice Department after James Comey—after years of introducing bills to stop frivolous lawsuits and criticizing two Presidents who they claimed weaponized the Justice Department. Of course, these are the same people who now support tariffs, after decades of viewing them as barriers to international trade. When it comes to hypocrisy, Republicans wrote the book.

These are stunning displays of hypocrisy, but it’s exactly what happens when people get behind patently ridiculous ideas for purely social reasons. Both sides are so steeped in their own algorithm-reinforced partisanship that it has blinded their ability to think critically. They deserve each other—and the rest of us deserve better. 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kevin McCauley kevin@odwyerpr.com

PUBLISHER John O’Dwyer john@odwyerpr.com

SENIOR EDITOR Jon Gingerich jon@odwyerpr.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Steve Barnes steve@odwyerpr.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Fraser Seitel

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS & RESEARCH

Jane Landers

Melissa Webell

Advertising Sales: John O’Dwyer john@odwyerpr.com

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Brands can still benefit from DEI

According to a recent study, brands shouldn’t shy away from DEI efforts or LGBTQ+ representation.

By Steve Barnes

Should brands and organizations be running from DEI initiatives and efforts to promote the visibility of groups including LGBTQ+ audiences? Not necessarily, according to a new report from ad measurement provider DISQO and Do The WeRQ, a platform that focuses on increasing LGBTQ+ representation in the marketing and advertising industries.

“2025 LGBTQ+ Advertising: Marketing in the quiet age of DEI” asked 1,955 adults for their opinions on DEI efforts as well as the attempts made by brands to increase LGBTQ+ visibility.

The report’s first big takeaway is that many people aren’t clear about what exactly DEI means, and what its effects really are. Fewer than half of those surveyed (46 percent) could correctly identify what all three of the letters in “DEI” stand for, and 28 percent could not identify even one of the letters.

There was also a degree of confusion about the intent of DEI programs and who those programs are meant to benefit. Almost a fifth of respondents (18 percent) think that

DEI exists to establish quotas or promote political or social agendas.

In addition, many respondents believe that DEI efforts only benefit a narrow range of groups. While 62 percent said that DEI benefits racial and ethnic minorities, and 56 percent thought they help LGBTQ+ people, only 13 percent thought that those efforts encompass a far wider group that includes people with disabilities, older people and parents & caregivers.

There’s also a lot of skepticism about the intent of DEI initiatives. Less than a third (32 percent) of those surveyed said that companies supporting such efforts “really care.” Almost as many (30 percent) say that those brands are “mainly concerned with public image and marketing” and 11 percent think they are just responding to pressure from the public and their employees.

But that doesn’t mean people think companies should give up on DEI. 35 percent of respondents said that brands should speak up both internally and externally, with another 10 percent supporting internal-only

involvement and 17 percent approving of such efforts as long as they are relevant to the brand. That far outweighs the 28 percent who give DEI initiatives a thumbs down.

The study also warns brands of the possible negative effects of rolling back DEI efforts. More than four in 10 respondents (41 percent) said their trust in a brand declines when that brand rolls back DEI commitments. About the same number (39 percent) said that they had already changed their purchasing behavior due to DEI rollbacks.

When it comes the role that brands can have in increasing LGBTQ+ representation, many of those surveyed thought brands have an opportunity, and responsibility, to take a stand. More than half (56 percent) say that brands influence how society perceived LGBTQ+ people.

The study says that while LGBTQ+ visibility in ads is down 15 percentage points since 2023, almost seven in 10 (68 percent) want to see either the same level or representation or more representation.

LGBTQ+ people surveyed also said that they want representation at all levels of a brand’s communications, not just in the casting of its ads. 87 percent of them thought brands should integrate representation through all levels of their communications—including creators, strategists and storytellers. 

AI insights are pointless without action

How healthcare communicators can protect both patients and reputations in an AI-first world.

We’re living in a new Wild West, where the way we seek and consume information is undergoing a complete upheaval with AI at the center. People now turn to AI assistants first to ask about their health—symptoms, side effects, access, coverage—and the answers carry real consequences for safety, adherence and trust.

It’s one thing to know how generative AI tees up information about a particular symptom, health condition or medicine. What pops up first? What news sites are sourced? Are they trustworthy? How recent is it? Is it biased or missing context? You get the drift.

But it’s quite another thing to know what to DO with that information once you have it. That’s where seasoned, well-rounded and impact-obsessed PR pros like me step up to take the baton.

What PR does next

If AI answers are the new front page, PR sets the record. Generative Engine Optimization is how we make sure AI gives accurate, on-label, human answers—and points to sources we trust. Here are five must-do’s:

Lead with earned to set the story and pace. Brief a short list of agenda-setting health/science reporters under embargo to drive a first wave of accurate, well-contextualized coverage when you have hard news. Consider extending the reach with bylined articles penned by credible experts. Target outlets AI already relies on and sources most (hint: it’s a mix of traditional top-tier outlets and medical trade pubs).

Run a fact-first newsroom. Publish living FAQs, “Myth vs. Fact,” and dosing/safety one-pagers with timestamps and stable links. Keep a pre-approved correction kit (facts, citations, quotes) so you can catch and correct fast and send editors—and AI— the same, clean sources.

Turn materials into citations. Pull key points out of press releases or medical meeting presentations and republish as short summaries, simple tables and doctor Q&As. Mark pages “For HCPs” or “For Patients” to avoid mix-ups. Refresh public reference pages (e.g., Wikipedia) with neutral, wellsourced language.

Address common questions with helpful, trustworthy answers. For each high-priority question, pair message + messenger + outlet. Example: if HCPs are confused about sequencing, work with a key opinion leader from a trusted medical institution to pen an explainer or offer a trade pub interview; if

By Jennifer Paganelli

patients worry about side effects, co-create a practical guide with a patient advocacy group. Publish content that links back to your fact page.

Keep watch and correct course. Spotcheck answers weekly. If you see off-label drift, missing safety info, or outdated claims, update your facts, brief (or re-brief) reporters, coordinate with medical societies and advocacy groups and file feedback with the platforms. Keep a steady drumbeat

of new, credible pieces so better information crowds out the old. Bottom line? PR creates the public record others trust. GEO gives it a rhythm: set the story, publish clean facts, earn the right citations and keep watch. That’s how we protect patients—and reputations—in an AI-first world. Jennifer Paganelli is President of Earned Media & Integration at Real Chemistry. 

Data breaches and the first 48 hours

How communications can save or sink your reputation.

By Alexis Odesser

Sally Sussman captured the fragility of organizational credibility: “Reputation is earned in drops and lost in buckets.” In the healthcare industry, a data breach isn’t just a technical failure but a crisis in trust that can shape an organization’s reputation for years to come. Unfortunately, data breaches within healthcare are becoming increasingly common. Recent data from the Fox Group shows that from 2015 to 2023, the number of large healthcare data breach incidents (500+ records) rose from about 270 in 2015 to 746 in 2023. When a data breach occurs, how can organizations respond effectively in the first 48 hours? Every choice can restore confidence, or, if mishandled, speed up reputational decline and erode stakeholder and patient trust.

The golden hour in crisis communications

When attackers compromise sensitive patient data, organizations face what can be considered the “golden hour,” the critical window where they can still control their own story. Once 24 hours pass, external forces—such as media, regulators and public opinion—take over. This reality has led to the development of the “First 48 Framework,” a strategic approach that prioritizes speed without sacrificing accuracy or empathy.

The framework relies on three core pillars: pre-approved messaging, swift legal and compliance approval and clearly assigned stakeholder and spokesperson roles. Without these elements in place before a breach happens, organizations often find themselves rushing to coordinate responses while valuable time slips away.

Pre-approved messaging, developed as part of broader crisis preparation, acts as the backbone of quick response. These are not generic templates, but carefully crafted communications that can be easily customized based on the specific nature and scope of a breach. The messaging must address key stakeholder concerns while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements. This is a delicate balance that requires advanced planning and legal review.

Strategic coordination under pressure

The complexity of a healthcare data breach response requires seamless coordination between multiple departments. Communications teams serve as the strategic pivot point during these critical moments, leveraging their unique ability to think

several moves ahead, game out potential scenarios and engage diverse stakeholders to protect organizational reputation. Designated spokespersons must be trained in both crisis communication techniques and technical aspects of data security and healthcare regulations. Crisis communication extends beyond spokespersons—every employee becomes a potential voice. Customer service representatives, finance personnel and administrative staff may field questions from concerned stakeholders before official communications reach the public. Employees require carefully crafted, immediately accessible talking points that empathetically redirect inquiries to appropriate channels. Without this preparation, well-intentioned but uninformed employees can inadvertently provide inconsistent information or damage stakeholder trust during already stressful situations.

Transparency as a strategic imperative

Today’s healthcare consumers expect transparency, especially when their personal information is at risk. The most successful breach responses are characterized by proactive transparency that builds trust. Effective transparent communication follows a three-part structure: sharing what is known, acknowledging what remains unknown and committing to ongoing updates. This approach demonstrates respect for stakeholders while maintaining credibility throughout the investigation process.

The “what is known” component should include confirmed details about the breach’s scope, the types of information potentially affected and immediate steps taken to secure systems. Organizations must resist the temptation to minimize the situation or provide overly technical explanations that obscure rather than clarify the impact.

Equally important is acknowledging what remains unknown. This might include the full extent of compromised data, whether information was actually accessed or just exposed, or the identity of threat actors. Rather than weakening the organization’s position, this acknowledgment demonstrates honesty and sets realistic expectations for stakeholders.

The human element in crisis communication

Behind every data breach statistic is a real person whose private health information may have been compromised. Successful crisis communication never loses sight of

this human element. Messages must lead with empathy, acknowledging the legitimate concerns and fears that patients experience when their data is breached.

This human-centered approach extends beyond messaging to include tangible support resources. Provide patients with clear guidance on protective steps, such as monitoring their credit reports or staying alert for suspicious activity. Set up dedicated support channels so affected individuals can reach a real person, ask their questions and get timely updates. Activating a dark website and leveraging content hubs as digital destinations where people can access information and support resources is another high-impact avenue for helping people affected by data breaches.

While being transparent within the first 24–48 hours of a known breach, continuing to support individuals after the full extent of the breach is known and investigations are complete is paramount too. The most effective response includes offering concrete benefits like free credit monitoring services, identity theft protection, or enhanced security features for patient portals. These gestures demonstrate genuine concern for patient welfare and can significantly impact how the organization’s response is perceived.

Building long-term trust through crisis

While the First 48 hours are crucial, healthcare organizations that emerge strongest from data breaches understand that reputation recovery is both a marathon and a sprint. The most successful approaches treat crisis communication as part of a broader, long-term reputation strategy.

This extended approach includes sustained stakeholder engagement that continues well beyond the initial incident. Regular updates on security improvements, transparency reports on data protection measures and proactive communication about new privacy initiatives all contribute to rebuilding trust over time.

Lessons from the field

The healthcare organizations that have

What boards really mean when they demand ‘awareness’

When your board says it wants to gain awareness, what they’re usually looking for amounts to much more than public relations.

By Terri Clevenger

Every CEO knows the moment. The board meeting has gone smoothly, but then a director leans forward and makes a pointed observation: “We need more awareness.”

The instinctive response is to call the communications team and order more press releases, a push for media coverage or perhaps a glossy feature in a paid-for outlet. In other words, “awareness” gets reduced to public relations.

But when your board is demanding awareness, they rarely mean public relations alone. They’re talking about something far more strategic, far more consequential— and something far harder to measure with simple metrics. True awareness isn’t just about headlines. It’s about reputation.

Reputation is the sum of perceptions held by stakeholders. It answers the questions: “Can we trust you?” “Do you deliver on your promises?” “Are you who you say you are? Should we invest or partner with you?”

Reputation can’t exist in a vacuum. Before stakeholders can evaluate you, they must first be aware of you. Awareness isn’t reputation itself, but it’s the critical precondition: Without awareness, there’s no perception to manage, no trust to build, no credibility to lose.

This is why boards press leaders on awareness. They understand that in the life sciences industry, reputation is often a company’s most valuable asset, shaping valuations, partnerships, trial enrollment and adoption. Awareness is the gateway to reputation: the entry point through which stakeholders form judgments that determine your future.

The misconception: awareness ≠ PR

It’s easy to see how this misunderstanding arises. Historically, public relations has been the domain of “awareness campaigns.” Count the clips, measure the impressions, tally the share of voice and awareness is achieved.

But most boards don’t think in terms of column inches. Their responsibility is to safeguard the long-term trajectory of the organization. That requires something deeper than media buzz.

Plenty of biopharma companies, for instance, have enjoyed a splash of headlines when raising a funding round or announcing early trial data, only to see reputational cracks widen soon after. A favorable article might spark a moment of recognition, but without credibility across stakeholders,

awareness fades and reputation stalls. PR is often noise; awareness is signal.

The four elements of awareness

To understand what boards are really asking for, leaders must reframe awareness as a multi-dimensional foundation of reputation. Through our work with healthcare brands, we’ve identified four areas of awareness that every company must manage:

1. Market awareness:

• Investors, analysts and competitors must recognize your company’s positioning and potential.

• Market awareness shapes financial reputation, influencing valuation and resilience in turbulent markets.

2. Clinical/scientific awareness:

• Physicians, researchers and key opinion leaders must understand your science and the rigor of your data.

• This awareness builds scientific reputation, without which breakthroughs remain unrecognized or distrusted.

3. Patient/community awareness:

• Patients and advocacy groups need to perceive your brand as trustworthy, relevant and aligned with their needs.

• Here, awareness nurtures social reputation, the credibility that earns patient loyalty and advocacy partnerships.

4. Internal awareness:

• Employees must be aligned with the mission and able to articulate the story.

Internal awareness reinforces cultural reputation, proving that values are lived, not just claimed.

• Seen together, these elements make it clear: awareness is the framework on which reputation is built. Without broad, consistent visibility across stakeholders, reputation is fragile, hollow or fragmented.

Why boards care

Boards are stewards of value. They know that reputation is one of the few intangible assets that can decisively protect or destroy enterprise value. According to Echo Research’s 2024 report on Reputation Value, corporate reputations across the S&P 500 make up 28 percent of market cap, with healthcare among the top three industries benefiting from a strong reputation.

But reputation begins with awareness. If investors, scientists, patients and employees are not aware of you—or are aware only through a narrow or distorted lens— your reputation cannot mature. That’s why boards demand it. Awareness isn’t the goal; it’s the raw material from which reputation

is shaped.

This shift reframes awareness not as outputs (coverage, mentions, impressions) but as outcomes (confidence, trust, adoption, alignment).

• Market outcomes reflect reputation in analyst reports and valuation.

• Scientific outcomes reflect reputation in citations and KOL endorsements.

• Patient outcomes reflect reputation in advocacy partnerships and trust indices.

• Internal outcomes reflect reputation in retention and cultural strength.

Terri Clevenger

Building true awareness

So, how should leaders respond when their board demands awareness? By treating it as a strategic reputation-building exercise, not a communications campaign.

Start with the narrative. A clear corporate story is the DNA of both awareness and reputation. This narrative must be compelling, universal and timeless, thereby resonating with Wall Street, scientists, patients and employees alike.

Integrate across channels. Awareness must be consistent. Reputation fractures when investors hear one story, patients hear another and employees live a third. Every channel, from IR decks to patient portals, must reinforce the same values and vision.

Measure what matters. Move beyond media metrics to reputation indicators:

• Investor perception surveys.

• Analyst commentary.

• KOL influence mapping.

• Patient trust surveys.

• Employee advocacy scores.

Awareness as survival. In healthcare, awareness and reputation are inseparable. One without the other is dangerous. Awareness without reputation is a fleeting buzz. Reputation without awareness is invisible potential. Together, they are the lifeblood of growth and resilience.

Consider two companies in the same therapeutic space. One has cultivated multi-lens awareness: investors respect its vision, physicians trust its science, patients value its authenticity and employees live its culture. Its reputation is strong because awareness is

Continued on page 19

Eliminating the public relations silo

Why integration is the keystone of strategic healthcare communications.

Healthcare companies today are navigating some of the most complex pressures in recent memory. Regulatory uncertainty, the promise and threat of artificial intelligence and a challenging capital markets environment are just a few of the stressors affecting the industry today. For leadership teams, the challenge isn’t just competing; it’s sustaining credibility while adapting in real time.

In this environment, communications is no longer a supporting function. It’s a central driver of value.

For communications to have that impact, specialists can’t work in silos. Public relations alone isn’t enough. Investor relations alone isn’t enough. Internal communications alone isn’t enough. The reality is that effective planning requires alignment across audiences, disciplines and business objectives.

Why integration matters now

We have seen this play out repeatedly. Take healthcare consolidation. When two organizations announce a merger, the message must simultaneously address investors who care about financial outlook, employees who are worried about job security, regulators who are assessing market impact and patients who need reassurance about continuity of care. If communication is fragmented, one or more of those groups ends up in the dark, and the companies risk undermining confidence before the deal even closes.

For PR professionals, this illustrates why understanding IR—and vice versa—is essential, because a single narrative must meet financial, operational and reputational objectives at the same time.

Artificial intelligence is another example. In the past year, multiple healthcare companies have launched AI initiatives with headlines promising to transform diagnostics or drug discovery. Without a coordinated approach that considers both business goals and patient care, a story that may look good to investors could raise concerns elsewhere.

In the capital markets, upcoming healthcare IPOs and strategic transactions will show just how important alignment is. Companies preparing to go public or positioning themselves for acquisition need PR and IR to be fully coordinated. According to McKinsey, U.S. healthcare deal activity in 2024 fell about 30 percent compared with the previous year, amid margin pressures and high valuation expectations, encour-

not just tactics. The communicator’s role is to make complex information clear, shape a narrative that builds trust, reduce risk and help leadership make well-informed decisions.

By Mark Corbae

aging companies to take a more cohesive approach.

Even small missteps in messaging or tone can affect valuation, slow momentum or weaken credibility at some of the most important moments in a company’s lifecycle.

What’s more, coordination doesn’t stop with PR and IR. In today’s environment, companies must also closely align public affairs, employee communications and digital engagement. A regulatory update can spark media questions, trigger investor reactions and raise employee concerns, all within hours. Without coordination across these channels, the story becomes disjointed. Communicators who can bridge these disciplines are the ones who keep organizations steady when the landscape shifts.

From doer to advisor

These examples make the point clear: specialization alone isn’t enough. Communicators who stay in their own lane risk becoming task-oriented rather than strategic partners.

Professionals who develop knowledge across disciplines, whether that means digesting financial statements, understanding regulatory policy or recognizing the reputational impact of AI, bring more value. They aren’t just executing instructions; they’re advising leadership, anticipating issues and helping companies navigate complex situations. This is also where communicators move from supporting actors to trusted advisors. By explaining complex choices in a way that connects to the market and to stakeholders, they make hard decisions easier and help leaders move forward with confidence.

Whether on the in-house side or agency side, it’s a communications professional’s responsibility to ensure that every message considers the full spectrum of stakeholders and disciplines.

This shift from doer to advisor is what turns communications into a true driver of growth.

Integration as a mindset

True alignment starts with mindset, not organizational charts. It requires curiosity and the discipline to ask how a decision affects all of our audiences. Who else needs to hear this message? What ripple effects could this have across markets, policy or reputation?

Approaching things this way puts communication at the heart of how a business operates, embedded in decision-making,

Putting it into practice

Moving toward integration takes practice. Communicators should start by building cross-functional knowledge. You don’t need to be a CFO or a physician, but it helps to understand financial statements and be able to explain a clinical trial in plain language. Every plan should be viewed through a multistakeholder lens. A message that works for one audience, like investors, but leaves employees or regulators uncertain, isn’t ready for broader communication.

Equally important is being involved early. Communicators who bring a holistic perspective are invited into high-level conversations, not just execution. I’m fortunate in that the healthcare clients I work with are led by forward-thinking CEOs who recognize the value of having their communications counselors “under the tent” from the start. That’s where we can have the most impact, shaping how decisions are understood before they reach the public. Integration also makes it possible to be proactive rather than reactive. By connecting the dots across functions, communicators can anticipate challenges and opportunities instead of scrambling to align messages at the last minute.

Communications as a value driver

The healthcare industry, like many others, continues to evolve rapidly. For communicators, this means embracing a broader skill set and a more integrated perspective. The future belongs to those who can connect functional synergies, see issues before they arise and align stakeholder narratives with business goals.

A communicator isn’t just a PR pro, an IR lead or an internal communications specialist. They’re a connector, an integrator and a counselor who helps leadership make the right decisions in moments that matter. Cross-functional alignment isn’t just best practice; it’s a competitive advantage, one that enables PR and communications teams to directly influence business growth.

Cohesiveness is more than a functional necessity. It’s how communications earns its seat at the decision-making table and demonstrates a tangible impact on longterm business goals and value. That’s the mandate of modern communications.

Mark Corbae is a Managing Director at ICR Healthcare. 

Mastering the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

A PR and IR playbook for navigating the world’s largest annual investor meeting for life sciences companies.

Every January, the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference transforms San Francisco into the global life sciences sector epicenter. What began decades ago as a gathering of biotech and pharmaceutical leaders occupying one hotel in the city’s center has become the world’s largest annual health investor meeting. Investors, analysts, entrepreneurs, media and health-system executives convene in one place to set the tone for the year ahead.

For industry communications pros, JPM is more than a financial conference. It’s a trial-by-fire period during which CEOs, CFOs and boards assess how well the company’s messaging and proof points are conveyed. Preparation is everything. Companies that define their story and deliver it precisely stand out, win coverage and attract capital. Those without a plan don’t miss opportunities; they vanish into the conference noise.

Companies use the week to spotlight financial strength and pipeline potential. Presentations are dissected for capital preservation strategies, burn rates and partnership opportunities. For life science companies, their pipeline’s scientific promise may be compelling, but JPM is where financial viability is tested.

At the same time, JPM is about innovation. Advances in AI-powered drug discovery, breakthroughs in cell and gene therapies and new digital health platforms are abuzz. It’s where science is business and where communications define a business’s value.

In recent years, headlines have proclaimed that “biotech is back.” Markets are reopening, IPOs are stirring and investor appetite is reemerging after a period of contraction. But the stakes have shifted.

Investors are no longer satisfied with promises. They want clear evidence of progress, data readouts, partnerships and regulatory milestones. The message at JPM is clear: The era of hype is gone. Companies must show proof points of cautious optimism.

Private equity and venture capital remain solid, but dollars flow to fewer companies. Capital is concentrated and directed toward teams that can prove disciplined strategy and clinical momentum. This new landscape raises the bar for communicators. Every story told at JPM must connect ambition to validation, showing how and when innovation moves from lab to patient and through the regulatory pathway.

Bridging PR and IR

The JPM conference is a relentless mix of formal presentations, hotel-suite meetings and informal encounters in crowded lobbies. Companies must have a crisp narrative and the agility to adapt it for different audiences.

Every executive and communicator needs to master the concise pitch. Investor decks must be refreshed to present updated financials and integrate a human-centric storyline. That requires close collaboration between investor relations and public relations. The numbers provide the facts, and the story delivers the imperative.

Above all, success depends on demonstrating business momentum in opening trial sites, enrolling patients into the pipeline, publishing studies and filing reports with the Food and Drug Administration. JPM isn’t a stage for speculation and good intent.

Among the common missteps is confusing investor relations with public relations. Both are critical and play distinct strategic roles. Investor relations is a precision function and speaks to the financial community. Its hallmarks are accuracy and transparency.

Public relations builds a broader narrative, highlighting patient impact, securing media coverage and strengthening ties with patient advocacy communities. When IR and PR work together, the result is powerful: a cohesive story reassures investors building brand equity with physicians, patients and business partners.

A winning media strategy

Success at JPM requires a three-phase media strategy:

Pre-conference readiness. Weeks before arriving at JPM, companies must use digital channels to convey their upcoming presence, preview news and secure journalist interest.

On-site agility. The conference is filled with sector-changing news. Listening and adapting are key. Spokespeople must connect company milestones to broader industry themes and deliver quotable insights under time pressure.

Post-conference follow-up: When the hotels empty out, the conversation continues. Companies that nurture relationships, share highlights and provide insights stay top of mind. JPM is a launchpad for visibility throughout the year, not a four-day sprint.

By Fern Lazar and David Carey

For first timers

JPM can feel overwhelming. In four days, you can meet dozens of investors, analysts and journalists. Evening events are abundant. Time is precious, and schedules must be carefully curated.

The action occurs within a few blocks of Union Square. Meetings should be clustered geographically to maximize efficiency. Space is at a premium, so securing suites or co-working spaces months in advance is necessary.

Yet JPM is more than planned interactions. Some of the most valuable conversations begin by chance. A chat in a hotel lobby, a handshake in a coffee line or an introduction between panels can spark relationships that matter long after the weekends. Be social!

Ultimately, JPM is a communications test— but not a single test. Shift the mindset from a single presentation to developing a narrative that ties science to business impact. It means equipping every company spokesperson with aligned messages to strengthen credibility with investors while inspiring patients, policymakers and potential partners.

At FINN Partners, we view JPM as the annual “state of the union” for life sciences. It’s the most efficient forum to showcase progress, secure capital and advance reputations. For CEOs, CFOs and their public-facing team, public relations and investor relations must work together to achieve maximum impact.

JPM matters

JPM is where the global health economy converges. In one week, billions in investment decisions take shape, reputations are defined and deals are struck. For emerging biotechs and medtechs, it can mean survival. It’s the stage for established players to reaffirm leadership and set the year’s narrative.

The task is straightforward for PR and IR

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When to speak out

Organizations navigating today’s health ecosystem face an increasingly difficult challenge: knowing when to speak publicly and when to stay silent on contentious cultural and political issues.

The United States today is deeply riven by polarization and politicization, and the healthcare industry certainly isn’t immune. Issues such as insurance coverage, reproductive rights, drug pricing, vaccine mandates—or lack thereof—scientific integrity and government funding have become flashpoints in the broader cultural and political divide, often overshadowing efforts to find common ground on patient care and public health.

Patients, policymakers and providers alike are navigating an era where the scientific and medical considerations behind public health policy and patient care are frequently ensnarled with partisan rhetoric, making it increasingly challenging to implement long-term, consensus-driven solutions. This environment has heightened mistrust among stakeholders and underscored the challenge of advancing policies that balance access, affordability and quality while avoiding ideological pitfalls.

More than ever, organizations in the health ecosystem face an increasingly highstakes communications dilemma: determining when to speak publicly and when silence is the wiser choice.

From the corporate communications perspective, today’s healthcare environment may be fraught with potential pitfalls, but it’s also full of opportunity. Sweeping changes to federal agencies, politically charged policies and shifting enforcement priorities mean that every public statement carries both potential value alongside real risk. Speaking out recklessly can expose any organization to selective scrutiny; yet remaining silent at the wrong moment can erode connectivity among stakeholders. The challenge isn’t only deciding “if” to speak, but “how” to frame messages that align with mission, resonate with the intended target and minimize the risk of unintended fallout.

Rather than speaking directly about contested issues such as reproductive health, vaccine mandates or gender-affirming care, many experts are deliberately reshaping the lexicon into terminology that avoids conversation shutdown. For example, organizations may use broader phrases like “patient-centered access” or “community wellness initiatives” instead of more polarizing phrasing. This shift reflects a growing need to balance advocacy with risk management: advancing core health priorities while

avoiding punitive measures, funding cuts or public backlash. In effect, healthcare communications are evolving to where word choice is as much about political survival as it is about clarity.

When commenting on policy changes, companies are increasingly using neutral, patient-centered framing rather than potentially polarizing partisan language. For example, during past administrations, companies who would have said “We oppose proposed Medicaid cuts” have now shifted to statements such as “Proposed funding reductions risk disrupting care for X million beneficiaries and could force closures of Y hospitals.” “Health equity” has been largely sidelined by “individual responsibility.”

At the same time, many pharmaceutical companies haven’t retreated from their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, even as the broader corporate landscape has seen heightened scrutiny. While the healthcare sector hasn’t yet experienced the same intensity of backlash directed at consumer-facing brands, leading firms continue to frame DEI as integral to their operations and culture. Pfizer, for example, has emphasized its approach by explicitly spelling out “diversity, equity and inclusion” in its materials while also underscoring “merit-based” advancement to preempt criticism. Bristol Myers Squibb highlights its efforts under the banner of “Global Inclusion & Diversity,” supported by a detailed suite of programs and initiatives. AstraZeneca, likewise, keeps inclusion and diversity prominently positioned in its corporate messaging, while Regeneron integrates the concept into “inclusion & culture,” reinforced through employee resource groups and community-building efforts.

These approaches illustrate an important lesson in healthcare communications: organizations must define the terms of engagement on sensitive topics before external forces do so for them. By choosing language and frameworks that align with organizational values while anticipating areas of vulnerability, companies can maintain credibility and continuity even in polarized environments. As one seasoned communications leader observed, the key lies in “choosing the waves you can ride successfully,” focusing on conversations where the organization can authentically contribute and shape outcomes, rather than being swept into reactive cycles of controversy.

By Kevin Davidson

Companies and organizations in healthcare shouldn’t default to the assumption that staying silent is “safe.” Rather, sometimes silence can be more damaging than a misstep. Yet, it’s not necessary for a company to make sweeping endorsements of the MAHA agenda. Instead, focus on elements that are backed by evidence and proof points and are relevant to your organization, then speak out about how your efforts are in line with that part of the discussion.

For example, commending a concerted federal focus on chronic disease management and treatment isn’t the same as endorsing a particular officeholder; it’s about rising above the political divide.

Kevin Davidson

Take emotion out of decision making when it comes to deciding next steps in communications. Develop a rubric framework and customize it per issue. Key questions to ask are: Does this issue have direct relevance to the company’s industry and stakeholders? Do stakeholders have a high expectation that you should speak out? Is this topic strongly aligned with the company’s established values and track record?

Perhaps most important: be keen to discern the distinction between offering a “naked” point of view, versus one that’s backed by behavior in the relevant context. For instance, when Florida made the move to roll back pediatric vaccine mandates, a company might feel compelled to insert itself into the conversation. If the organization doesn’t operate in Florida, we would strongly counsel against this, as it would needlessly insert itself into a volatile debate, absent any opportunity to build equity through behavior. Since then, several organizations and their trade associations have wisely committed at the national level—and in their own markets—to maintain their vaccine coverage policies throughout 2026.

Take note of one subtle characteristic in such a response: there’s nothing per se “critical” or “controversial” about it. No administration member or policy is being taken to task; it’s simply a statement of what the organization believes in and its determination to act on that belief. It adheres to what

Continued on next page

WHEN TO SPEAK OUT

Continued from page 18

surveys have said for years: The vast majority of Americans seek accessible, affordable, quality healthcare above the political fray.

Before making a go-or-no go decision, it always pays to evaluate the alternative of taking a stand with others. It may be your trade association or the Chamber of Commerce or another group in the community. Solidarity could also come from like-minded CEOs or other executives. This can provide multiple benefits such as avoiding selective scrutiny and gaining greater media interest in the position.

In this climate, healthcare communicators must weigh not only the message but also the messenger, medium, timing and likely interpretations.

When to speak out

When company operations or patients are directly impacted. If federal action threatens your ability to serve patients or sustain your business model, a public statement isn’t just justified—it may be necessary. For example, payer groups have openly lobbied against cuts to Medicaid and ACA subsidies, citing direct threats to members and customers. Communicators should frame such advocacy around patient impact

THE FIRST 48 HOURS

Continued from page 10

successfully navigated major data breaches share common characteristics in their communication approaches. They prepared extensively before incidents occurred, responded quickly with empathy and transparency and maintained consistent engagement long after the immediate crisis passed.

These organizations also recognized that data breach communication is fundamentally about relationship management.

JPM

HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE

Continued from page 16

professionals: cut through the noise with a unified story, a refreshed investor deck and a media strategy that starts before San

WHEN BOARDS WANT AWARENESS

Continued from page 12

broad and consistent. The other has a flurry of headlines but little else. Which survives setbacks and earns trust over the long haul?

first, business second. One option worth considering is to align your statement with that of one or more medical societies, nationally or in your markets.

Defending core mission and values. When silence would undermine the credibility of your organization’s mission—for instance, if patient safety or equitable access is at risk—speaking out helps reinforce trust. Communications leaders should tie messages to longstanding commitments, not the politics of the day.

In response to stakeholder expectation. If employees, patients, investors or other key stakeholders are demanding clarity, absence of a statement may erode trust. The communications role here is to listen first, gauge internal and external pressure, then ultimately craft a response proportionate to the expectations.

When silence could be interpreted as agreement. On morally charged issues, staying quiet may be perceived as tacit approval. Communicators should advise leadership when reputational risk from silence outweighs risk of speaking.

When holding back may serve you best If the issue is not directly relevant. Commenting on issues far removed from your core business or marketplace can dilute your voice and expose you needlessly. Communicators should stress relevance: Does this issue directly affect our patients, work-

Patients, providers, regulators and other stakeholders all have different information needs and concerns. Successful communication strategies address these varied perspectives while maintaining message consistency across all channels.

The path forward

As cyber threats continue to grow, data breaches remain an unfortunate reality. The organizations that succeed will be those that see crisis communication not as damage control, but as an opportunity to demonstrate their values and commitment to the communities they serve.

Francisco and continues after. JPM isn’t four days on the calendar; it’s the launchpad for sustained visibility and credibility.

force or vertical?

When the retaliation risk is too high. For smaller organizations or those heavily dependent on federal contracts, public opposition to administration policies may invite scrutiny. In such cases, a quieter approach working through trade associations or private channels may be more effective. When messaging risks inconsistency. If recent corporate actions don’t align with a proposed statement, or if the issue is so politically charged that nuance will be lost, communicators should push for alignment first.

When impact will be minimal. If it’s clear that a policy decision is already locked in and a public statement won’t change the outcome, consider saving reputational capital for battles where you can make a difference.

Whether speaking out or holding back, don’t forget to prepare for internal communications. Employees are often the first audience to ask, “Why did we—or didn’t we—speak up?” Aligning internal messaging with external statements, or silence, is critical to maintaining trust.

Keep on the pulse. The dynamics are ever-changing. In short: speak when it matters most, stay silent when it matters least and always ensure that words match values.

Kevin Davidson is an EVP Brand and Corporate Communications, JPA Health. 

The First 48 Framework provides a foundation for effective response, but its success depends on advanced preparation, cross-functional coordination and unwavering commitment to transparency and empathy. When executed effectively, these approaches don’t just mitigate reputational damage—they can actually strengthen stakeholder relationships and position organizations as trusted leaders in data protection.

Alexis Odesser is Executive Vice President, Head of Account Excellence, Business of Health Co-Lead at The Bliss Group. 

Preparation is power. The companies that arrive with clarity, confidence and proof of momentum leave with stronger reputations, investor trust and new alliances. Those that don’t are quickly forgotten.

Boards know the answer. That’s why they demand awareness, not as a vanity metric, but as the foundation of reputation.

So, when your board says, “We need more awareness,” listen for the deeper message. They’re asking whether your company is visible and credible to the stakeholders who

Fern Lazar is Managing Partner, Global Health Practice Lead at FINN Partners. David Carey is Senior Partner, Health Investor Relations Group, at FINN Partners. 

matter most. They’re asking whether your reputation can grow, sustain and protect enterprise value.

Because in the end, awareness isn’t PR— it’s reputation in the making.

Terri Clevenger is Head of Integrated Communications at Waterhouse. 

A new language of care

The urgent messaging shift that healthcare communications leaders must make now as they plan for 2026.

By Shannon Murphy

Healthcare innovation continues to accelerate. Core areas such as digital therapeutics, virtual care, AI-powered remote monitoring and employer-driven behavioral health are transforming how care is delivered, managed and optimized across the healthcare ecosystem. These advances are enhancing patient outcomes, empowering providers with more actionable insights, streamlining payer operations and creating more efficient, data-driven systems overall. Yet as these innovations reshape treatment, the language used to describe them often has not kept pace. For communications leaders planning for 2026 and beyond, the question is clear: Does your messaging reflect the innovation your brand delivers?

Messaging is the foundation of an effective communications strategy, defining the core ideas, tone and value proposition that everything else builds upon. Clear, consistent messaging ensures media pitches resonate, social campaigns reinforce a unified story and executive visibility aligns with the organization’s narrative. In today’s complex healthcare ecosystem, strong messaging shapes public trust, drives adoption and differentiates market leaders from followers. Brands that refine how they talk about care now will cut through the noise and reinforce leadership in 2026 and beyond.

Closing the gap between progress and understanding Healthcare communicators are taking on a bigger role than just spreading awareness. Today, their responsibility is to create real understanding and earn trust among diverse audiences. Each group—patients, insurers, providers and employers—has its own set of challenges, all while navigating an environment that is crowded with information and uncertainty.

Digital health continues to expand at an impressive pace. In 2023, U.S. startups secured $10.7 billion in funding across 1,400 companies. Despite this investment, adoption remains inconsistent, with only 58 percent of Americans reporting use of health technology to support their well-being. Uptake is tempered by generational differences, privacy concerns and limited trust. At the same time, providers face challenges with interoperability and workflow integration, while employers contend with vendor fatigue and ongoing cost pressures.

With 2026 planning well underway, communications teams have an opportunity and a responsibility to reset. Clear, credible messaging sharpens positioning, bridges understanding gaps and ensures innovations are noticed and embraced.

The mandate for healthcare communicators

With U.S. healthcare spending at $4.9 trillion annually, the stakes are higher than ever. Communicators are expected not just to build brands, but to educate the market, validate new models and inspire confidence. To succeed, messaging must be:

Understandable to overloaded decision-makers.

Credible to clinicians and skeptics. Bold enough to stand out in a crowded market.

Three deliberate moves can ensure messaging delivers on these imperatives before 2026 planning locks in.

1. Put people at the center. Effective messaging leads with human impact, not features. Highlight outcomes that matter, such as fewer hospital visits, improved sleep, less workplace stress and faster recovery. Emotional resonance cuts through complexity and builds trust.

A digital therapeutics company within the musculoskeletal space illustrates this well. The company highlights stories of patients regaining mobility, managing chronic pain without opioids and returning to daily life. Rather than focusing on motion-captured AI or back-end analytics, the company ensures its messaging is centered on human experience to connect far beyond the clinical.

2. Use plain language with purpose. Messaging can’t be credible or understandable if it’s wrapped in jargon. Use active voice, clear structure and relatable language your audience uses. Simplicity is not dumbing it down; it’s smart, sharp communication.

For example, a company within the AI-driven remote patient monitoring space can ensure its messaging emphasizes real-world outcomes—earlier heart failure detection, fewer hospitalizations, more clinician-patient interaction—rather than technical specifications of AI or biosensors. Plain language makes value clear to everyone, from patients to providers.

3. Align internally to build trust externally. Consistency drives credibility. Mes-

saging fragmented across teams will fall flat. Alignment between leadership, sales, product and marketing ensures promises made externally are delivered at every touchpoint.

Companies aiming to strengthen alignment between internal and external priorities can draw inspiration from the mental health benefits sector. Employer-facing resources emphasize measurable results such as reduced absenteeism, while employee communications focus on fast access to care and culturally attuned providers. When combined, clear, empathetic and evidence-based messaging fosters trust across all audiences. Messaging as a growth lever—and a PR imperative

In healthcare, clarity is operational, not cosmetic. Misaligned or overly technical messaging fails to engage and risks losing the audience. But when your narrative is consistent, emotionally resonant and easy to grasp, it commands attention, earns credibility and drives adoption.

For healthcare communications leaders, this is pivotal because messaging is a strategic growth lever. Agencies and internal teams embracing this mindset move beyond tactical execution. By embedding unified, people-centered messaging across earned, owned and paid channels, they ensure every interaction—from a media interview to a social campaign— strengthens reputation and distinguishes the brand.

Act before 2026 planning locks in

The window to reset your messaging is now, before planning is locked in and before competitors gain ground. For healthcare brands navigating rapid innovation, clear, purposeful communication is essential not just to brand impact but to overall market growth.

PR leaders who elevate messaging from cosmetic to strategic will drive adoption, shape public perception and influence the success of their innovations. The story you tell today sets the stage for the breakthroughs the market will embrace tomorrow.

Shannon Murphy is Executive Vice President, Healthcare Lead at V2. 

Short-term moves, long-term vision

Strategic communications planning in an uncertain healthcare climate.

By Jen Dobrzelecki

Let’s be honest: the healthcare industry isn’t exactly operating in a calm, predictable environment right now. Between new executive orders, increasing regulatory pressure, economic impacts and global supply chain disruptions, leaders are dealing with nonstop change in the face of healthcare industry uncertainty.

Here’s the catch: while short-term decisions and plans are necessary, they also come with risks if they’re made in the absence of an accompanying long-term vision. And for healthcare communicators and marketers, those risks could show up in very real ways. Unclear goals. Ill-conceived approaches. Rushed campaigns. Shrinking budgets. Why are healthcare leaders stuck in a short-term mindset?

The political impact on healthcare makes it hard to count on policies or reimbursement models to have lasting power, forcing tough healthcare leadership decision-making. Inflation, staffing shortages and economic factors are straining margins and forcing CFOs to scrutinize every line item. And operational challenges, like supply chain interruptions, keep pushing leaders into reactive mode.

Still, healthcare organizations can’t afford to stop future planning altogether. Shortterm thinking may help keep the lights on, but it’s no way to build trust, reputation or category leadership. That’s where healthcare communications strategy can make a difference.

What’s the risk of prioritizing “now” over “next” in healthcare marketing?

For marketing and communications professionals, today’s volatile environment brings both practical challenges and strategic pitfalls.

Pragmatically, campaign cycles are shrinking dramatically. Programs that once took a year to build are now being conceived and launched in a matter of weeks. Budgets are being allocated in smaller increments, sometimes quarter by quarter, forcing communications and marketing teams to constantly scale approaches. Instead of focusing on long-term strategies, many healthcare communicators are managing moment by moment, often sacrificing a cohesive healthcare marketing strategy.

A rushed pace could come with consequences for healthcare organizations and their agencies. When every project feels like a fire drill, teams can easily burn out. Creativity is stifled. Tactics take precedent

over strategy. Long-term storytelling gets shelved. And without committed budgets, it can be harder to make the case for ongoing brand-building efforts. The potential impact? Organizations that run too fast may lose sight of where they’re going.

Can anything good come of this?

Plot twist: uncertainty can also create space for innovation. When long-term plans are off the table, organizations can experiment in ways they might not have before to reach and engage with their stakeholders.

Agility can be a real differentiator. A healthcare company that can whip up a targeted digital campaign in weeks or pivot messaging in response to a policy shift will have an advantage over peers that may not be as nimble. Shorter planning cycles also allow for more pilot programs. Instead of going all in on a year-long campaign, healthcare marketers can test new approaches by gathering insights and adjusting or optimizing strategies accordingly.

One more upside is potential relevance. With shorter campaigns, organizations can respond to cultural moments, industry developments or competitor moves in real time. Done well, this can make communications feel more connected to the audience you aim to reach. After all, regardless of who the stakeholder is, reaching them in a way that resonates is a win.

How to plan in a volatile market?

The answer is not to totally abandon shortterm planning. Rather, the key is anchoring it in a long-term vision.

Healthcare communicators and marketers can maintain a vision for the future while still moving fast by:

Building flexible campaigns that can be scaled based on budget or priorities.

Preparing contingency plans that anticipate quick pivots without having to go back to the drawing board.

Maintaining a consistent brand narrative, so even if tactics change, the story being told does not.

Evaluating both short- and long-term outcomes to track the quick wins, while also paying attention to indicators of brand trust and loyalty.

Documenting lessons learned by capturing insights that can be applied to future planning.

What healthcare communicators should remember

The volatility in the healthcare industry isn’t likely to ease anytime soon. But un-

certainty doesn’t have to mean instability. Every short-term decision made now can still be a building block in a longer-term strategy.

The healthcare communicators who will succeed are the ones who effectively balance immediate pressures without losing sight of tomorrow. If they strike the right mix of shortterm agility with longterm vision, they can not only weather this storm but also help their organizations come out stronger on the other side.

FAQs: strategic communications in an ever-changing healthcare landscape

How should healthcare organizations run effective marketing and communications campaigns during times of uncertainty? Scenario planning and flexible campaigns allow marketers to move quickly without abandoning their larger strategy. The key is to anchor short-term solutions within long-term brand goals.

What’s the risk of short-term thinking in healthcare marketing strategy? Over time, if not done strategically, it can derail brand-building momentum, weaken brand consistency and get in the way of sustainable growth strategies.

How can healthcare communicators plan in unstable environments? Focus on agility, without losing sight of the core brand narrative. Track and measure both immediate results and long-term brand metrics. Apply key learnings to future plans.

How to future-proof a healthcare marketing strategy? By balancing adaptability with consistency, short-term approaches should always connect back to the larger brand story and vision.

Jen Dobrzelecki is Senior Vice President, Health, at Padilla. 

PR news brief

Brunswick handles Kraft Heinz split-up

Brunswick Group is handling media for the Kraft Heinz split-up into two publicly traded companies.

The move undoes the merger of Kraft and Heinz a decade ago that was engineered by Warren Buffett and Brazil’s 3G Capital.

The plan calls for creation of a global sauces, spreads and seasonings company with $15.4 billion in annual sales from brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia and Kraft Mac & Cheese.

The other company will consists of North American staples (Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles, Lunchables) that generate $10.4 billion in annual revenues.

The names of the two companies have not yet been determined. The restructuring is expected to be completed by the second half of next year.

Clarity requires capacity

Why healthcare must prioritize more strategic communications integration.

By Chelsea D’Amore, Emily Hirsch and Marjani Williams

Healthcare is a deeply personal, highstakes, high-emotion business with a litany of audiences that require nuanced communications. The growing complexity of today’s healthcare landscape makes it even more challenging for organizations to break through the clutter and build trust with clear, consistent messages.

We know that one-size-fits-all strategies no longer work and to succeed in the current media climate, communicators must create integrated models that allow them to deliver the right messages, through the right channels, at the right times.

Clarity requires capacity on three distinct levels:

Organizational capacity. Your organization’s communications team must have the depth and experience to fully engage with many diverse and dynamic audience sets.

Leadership capacity. Business leaders must prioritize communications and their role within this function as the key faces and voices representing their organizations.

Cultural capacity. A healthcare organization’s approach to communications must also hold the capacity to be caring, despite the demands of business goals, and courageous in the face of challenges like rampant misinformation. The vulnerability and fear when someone’s health is at stake demands communications that not only adds clarity but also carries compassion.

The challenge

Health audiences have diverse needs and interests, as well as varying levels of understanding of the business of healthcare that directly impacts their access to care and experience. Personal beliefs and comfort with the technical language of medicine greatly shape how consumers—your business’s patients and members—approach their health, and the level of trust they hold. Beyond the everyday consumer, healthcare organizations are also working to build and maintain relationships with government entities, communities, employers, shareholders and other stakeholders in the industry, covering providers, payers, pharma, tech and more.

Channel strategy is critical and must evolve. And while tools like Epic, email and social media are well established, it is neither strategic nor effective to blast the same messages across all platforms in the hopes of reaching everyone. The ways people engage with these platforms come with individualized expectations and AI is rapidly changing the game.

Generative Engine Optimization is reshaping the way people proactively hunt for healthcare information. Large language model tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Perplexity deprioritize content rooted in marketing and sales in favor of content that aims to educate and inform. Breaking through requires a content strategy that adapts to these rules.

This complexity is even more apparent against the backdrop of an industry under extraordinary pressure. Organizations from every facet of the healthcare ecosystem are right now determining how they will survive with significant reductions to programs like Medicare and Medicaid due to the implications of the One Big Beautiful Bill. Infectious disease trends are rising while vaccination rates are dropping. Nontraditional healthcare players like Amazon and Google are entering the market with new offerings that challenge the norm. And we are facing an overall aging population with greater healthcare needs with a workforce that is burned out and shrinking. Together, these factors contribute to the lack of trust in the healthcare landscape and in the institutions that support it.

The responsibility

Healthcare organizations serve a public function—to provide accessible care, advocate for public health practices, and educate patients on how to care for themselves and their communities. This includes countering a great deal of misinformation that puts people’s health at risk.

With tensions high and trust low, it’s natural for organizations and their leaders to want to lie low when no one has definitive or universally satisfying answers. But leaders need to understand that saying nothing is also saying everything. The fear of getting something wrong or upsetting an audience with accurate but potentially uncomfortable information delivers the message that your organization is disengaged.

In addition to accountability to patients, healthcare organizations also hold a high level of responsibility to support the incredible workers who keep these systems running. A healthcare organization’s most critical resource is its people—those who make accessible, affordable care possible. Without clear, personalized and prioritized internal communications, organizations risk confusion and misalignment—a disconnect that inevitably shows up in culture, patient experience and reputation.

The solution

If you don’t feel like you understand the depth of your audience set, it’s time to change that. That includes understanding how, where and when different audience subsets prefer to receive information. Clarity requires capacity. An undertaking like this is time-intensive and requires an understanding of how audiences think outside of the healthcare setting as well. People want their experiences working with their health partners to mirror the ease and convenience they’re used to with retail, tech, etc: fast, personalized, channel-appropriate and concise. Bringing in an external partner like an agency that spans sectors can be beneficial, because experts can bring learnings from across industries to reimagine how messages are created and how they are disseminated to diverse audiences affected by complex healthcare business challenges. Evaluate your internal communications cadence and channels as well. When leveraging intranet tools, email communications and even written and verbal communications internally, measurement processes must be in place to gain insight into engagement. Are staff members across the organization flooded with content but no direction on what is most important, meaning core messages get lost? Are part-time vs. full-time employees receiving mixed signals based on the channels they have access to? And critically, how is information moving up and down the chain so that employees who are the boots-on-the-ground interfacing with your customers feel aligned with leadership?

The most important shift is cultural. So often, communications experts are positioned as order takers for an organization, tasked with amplifying priorities decided by others. But in a space as complex as healthcare, communications experts need a seat in that strategic conversation when priorities are decided and messages are developed. In essence, they need to represent the needs

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Why hourly pay in PR is bad for business

Success in public relations has never been about effort; it’s about results. If you’re still charging by the hour, you might be losing money and talent.

Hourly billing has been the norm for public relations agencies for generations. Not only do clients often ask for it, but it also creates predictability for the agency’s finances when it’s hiring staff and thinking through compensation packages.

But in a profession built on outcomes, creativity and great storytelling, hourly billing rewards time spent instead of results delivered. Consider the junior staffer who gets paid more to take a day writing a piece of content versus a seasoned pro who gets it done in three hours. Consider that lightbulb moments in the shower are rewarded less than bad ideas developed in all-day brainstorming sessions. Consider that employees who write several bad pitches that go nowhere are paid more than the person who creates a single great, coverage-landing pitch that required only one e-mail.

Success in PR has never been about how long something takes. It’s about what works. Misaligned incentives punish high performers, waste time and breed distrust on both sides of the relationship.

If your PR firm still charges by the hour, you might be losing money—and your best people—without realizing it.

Creating conflict instead of cohesion

Under an hourly model, slower employees are worth more and your most valuable team members—the ones who are fast, sharp and experienced—end up making less. That’s not just unfair; it’s bad business. It disincentivizes quality and speed while teaching your team to prioritize the clock over creative results. Team members are taught not on what matters most—serving clients—but to create artificial deadlines in their minds and on their calendars.

Time-based billing also ties up resources documenting hours logged and tasks accomplished to reassure clients that every dollar was spent well. But the best clients know how public relations works: outcome focused with a margin of error for the fact that it’s earned media, not paid advertising or a company-owned platform. Spending time justifying every meeting and e-mail creates unnecessary stress and creates conflict with clients who will nickel-and-dime you into timesheet hell.

Hourly models also incentivize dishonest behavior. How many times will an employee, their manager, his boss and the finance department be tempted to round favorably to each person in that chain? The low-lev-

By Dustin Siggins

el employee is happy to make a few extra bucks, but the executive is going to look at that askance because it eats into what the client is charged and the agency’s profit. And the client is going to notice and wonder what happened. If it happens twice, they’ll ask. Third time? They might be gone.

The result: What should be a strategic partnership devolves into administrative nitpicking and trust gets replaced by math fights and bad company culture.

“The best relationships are the ones where the value comes from a strong understanding of what needs to be done, how we’re going to do it, who needs to be involved and the cost analysis last,” said Mark Devito, Managing Director of Brand Strategy for SKDK. “Then, it’s a matter of doing all you can to make the work amazing.”

“Hourly billing kills all of that,” said Devito.

Aligning incentives with outcomes

Instead of spending billable time tracking the clock, agencies that use value-based pay models automatically put everyone on the same page. Clients know what they’re paying for, and agencies are free to focus on results instead of the stopwatch.

At Proven Media Solutions, we’ve adopted this model across the board. Writers are paid by the project, and clients are charged per engagement. Our Good Faith Pledge lays out expectations and deliverables from the start, eliminating confusion. Whether something takes three hours or thirty, the standard is clear: make it great and deliver it on time.

“The hours-based structure protects the vendor from ever having to be a skilled communicator or to improve client services,” said brand strategist and Backroom CEO Kara Redman. “Many technical founders start companies because they’re exceptional at their craft, not because they’re great at business or relationships,” Redman continued. “They aren’t great at being proactive on projects or managing expectations, so they think in hours instead of outcomes and overbill on change orders.”

The value-based pricing model does create some risk for the agency. We recently had an editor ghost us after promising to place an op-ed; we’re now stuck spending time sending it elsewhere. On the other hand, the same client was quite happy when a single pitch resulted in three outlets wanting op-eds tailored to their audiences.

(And we were happy to send only one pitch instead of a dozen.)

Firms also need to watch for scope creep with a value-based model, and not every creative project fits neatly into a box. But incentive-based structures solve far more problems than they create. They reward efficiency, foster innovation and most importantly, reflect the actual value PR brings to the table.

Clients can budget with confidence, and agencies can reward their best people based on quality and performance. Team culture improves because people are encouraged to work smarter, not just longer.

PR isn’t a timecard business

Public relations isn’t factory work, nor is it billed in six-minute increments. It’s about influence, insight and impact. You don’t pay an airline by the hour flown or a doctor by the minute spent in surgery—the value is in the result, not the effort.

“You will get more work, have better client relationships and drive more change for everyone by having the right people focusing on doing the best work you can,” said DeVito.

As an industry, we can provide better service to clients—and a better work culture— if we evolve past legacy billing models that stifle performance and slow down progress. Hourly pay probably served a purpose once, but it’s become a crutch. Faster work shouldn’t lead to smaller paychecks, and smarter strategies shouldn’t be harder to price.

It’s time to stop measuring time and start rewarding value.

CLARITY REQUIRES CAPACITY

Continued from page 24

Dustin Siggins is a former Capitol Hill journalist and Founder of the public affairs and PR firm Proven Media Solutions.  of all audiences in order to develop the right communications strategy. In today’s healthcare landscape, the right strategy fosters the capacity organizations need to bring clarity to complexity and impact.

Chelsea D’Amore and Emily Hirsch are Account Directors at G&S Business Communications. Marjani Williams is Vice President, Client Service and DE&I, at G&S Business Communications. 

The case for coupling awareness and demand

Why trust is the byproduct of integrated marketing strategy.

By Zareen Fidlon

For years, marketers have drawn a line between brand awareness and demand generation: one is about visibility, the other about conversion.

But in healthcare, where every message must land through the filter of credibility, those categories are collapsing. The rise of generative AI search is accelerating the convergence, and it’s reframing how we think about earned media, content and, above all, trust.

Generative search raises the stakes

Generative AI is redefining what “search” means. Instead of delivering lists of links a la the traditional SERP, generative search surfaces synthesized insights, often quoting or integrating content directly into responses. This shift amplifies the value of authoritative voices, because the quality and credibility of source content determine whether your brand becomes part of the answer.

Here’s what the data shows:

• Google’s rollout of AI Overviews is pushing more answer-style results to the top of SERPs, reducing click-through rates to original sites.

• AI Overviews now appear in over 75 percent of top-of-funnel searches for B2B queries, crowding out traditional editorial listings.

• Early research on generative search engines reveals only about 52 percent of generated sentences are fully supported by citations, and the precision of citations clocks in at ~75 percent.

• SEO practitioners confirm the shift: surveys show content optimization and authority-building (vs. pure keyword tactics) are top adaptation strategies in 2025.

The bottom line: If your content doesn’t carry trust and authority, it may never surface. And even if it does, there’s no guarantee it will turn the dial for your audience.

Signals vs. substance

In healthcare, awareness alone is insufficient. A byline, a quote or a media mention may once have served as a “trust signal,” basically a shorthand that said, “we exist, and we’re legit.” But under generative search, those signals only matter if they articulate insight, evidence and credibility.

Trust is the transformation engine. It turns an earned mention from a passive badge into an active reason to investigate your brand. It turns content from self-promotion into a diagnostic lens. And that shift is especially vital in healthcare, where decisions are high-stakes and skepticism runs deep.

A recent McKinsey survey reinforces this: 64 percent of respondents said they trust health and wellness content from systems or doctors, whereas only five percent trusted social media or blogs. What’s more: 42 percent of respondents were more likely to schedule an appointment with a health system that publishes relevant content.

The takeaway here is that when your content is trustworthy, it becomes a vector for demand, not just recognition.

Trust and awareness are critical

Healthcare buyers (clinicians, payers or patients) operate differently than your standard buyer. They need proof, not promises. They need data, not fluff. They scrutinize claims and expect transparency. That makes trust non-negotiable. Here are three things we know that reinforce this:

1. Healthcare is one of the most regulated and scrutinized verticals; mistakes or exaggerations can quickly undermine credibility.

2. There’s already a trust deficit: younger consumers are more likely to disregard medical advice in favor of social media recommendations.

3. Real patient stories, when handled ethically, will always resonate more than abstract claims.

Earning trust isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a need for your brand, and it’s the basis upon which your demand is built.

What healthcare leaders are doing now

Many healthcare organizations are already experimenting with earned and content strategies that lean on trust:

•  Health systems are publishing data-backed outcomes reports, which generative systems surface in response to patient queries about “best hospitals for [procedure].”

•  Digital health platforms are investing in bylined content that explains how their models protect sensitive patient data. This addresses a top concern among both clinicians and consumers.

•  Medtech companies are working with medical journals to seed research-backed narratives that are then picked up in industry media, fueling credibility loops across search and generative platforms.

Each of these examples illustrates the same principle: Earned and owned channels are strongest when they communicate not just existence, but also evidence.

Putting trust at the center of your strategy

So how should healthcare marketers pivot from signal-chasing to trust-building? Several strategies stand out.

Anchor content in evidence, not branding. Earned media, research reports and whitepapers should be grounded in data, peer-reviewed literature and real-world outcomes. Generative systems favor factual, attributable sources.

Optimize for “answer engines,” not just search engines. SEO will still matter. But artificial intelligence optimization and other umbrella terms that fall under it, like answer engine optimization and generative engine optimization, is emerging as a critical discipline.

Diversify your earned footprint. Generative systems pull broadly. Mentions across respected journals, trade publications, niche healthcare media and clinical outlets all build authority. Diversification is important, but you want to work smarter, not just harder. Make sure you’re landing in the places where your audience looks.

Build earned-content feedback loops. Use media pickup and commentary to inform your content roadmap. If an op-ed leads to citations, expand it into formats like video explainers or even physician Q&As.

Be transparent about data and limitations. In fields like biotech or digital health, every assumption matters. Be upfront about methodology, funding and patient populations. Trust grows through disclosure. Track AI visibility, not just clicks. Measure whether your content shows up in AI-generated answers or citations. This will become the new share-of-voice metric. And, if you’re not sure where to start, we crafted some helpful pointers.

Trust is the product of coupling your brand and demand efforts

The next chapter for healthcare marketers will be defined not by how loudly they can promote, but by how credibly they can communicate. Gen AI has accelerated the collapse of the old awareness-demand divide. In doing so, it has opened new possibilities for those who prioritize trust.

Brand and demand shouldn’t live in separate silos. The mandate is clear: Elevate your earned media, ground your content in evidence, embed transparency and let trust be the lens through which every message is delivered. Because in an AI-shaped information environment, the organizations that are surfaced, cited and chosen will not be the loudest. They’ll be the most trusted.

Zareen Fidlon is Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing at PAN. 

Clarifying purpose in public health communications

How the rules of the game are being rewritten in today’s

turbulent health advocacy communications environment.

By Joy Burks, Sarah Hamilton and Susan Spencer

Today’s public health advocacy landscape is faced with unprecedented challenges.

Rollbacks to prevention and equity programs, ideological attacks on science, workforce reductions and high-level resignations are leaving gaps in leadership and sowing confusion across the health system. The result: Companies, nonprofits, advocacy groups and academic institutions alike are struggling to chart a clear path forward.

In this environment, advancing your mission can feel like threading the tiniest of needles, where every move matters and missteps carry risk.

But moments like this can also sharpen purpose. With the right strategy, organizations can navigate turbulence, stay true to their values and remain trusted voices for public health. At Avoq, here’s how we’re helping clients do exactly that.

Silence speaks louder than you think

This isn’t the time to sit on the sidelines. Re-center on the health outcomes that are the foundation of your work—whether preventing chronic disease, expanding access to care or tackling inequities. This will likely require retooling your strategy and finding the right messaging to show your value in protecting community health.

If there’s organizational queasiness regarding moving off the sidelines, remember: You don’t have to weigh in on everything. Stay focused on demonstrating value to the community you serve and not getting caught up in broader criticisms that don’t relate directly to your mission. Then, when you do speak out, your message will carry that much more weight.

Small wins still save lives

It’s easy to feel paralyzed in this environment. But even incremental wins add up to impact. Instead of focusing on how to stay out of the conversation, identify those moments when you have a strong reason to jump in. You may take some heat, but an across-the-board rejection of every policy won’t move the organization forward, nor will it ensure a seat at the table.

Misinformation moves fast, so move faster

In public health, credibility and clarity aren’t luxuries—they save lives. In a moment when trust is under constant attack, the fundamentals of crisis communications take on new urgency. That means being ready before the next wave hits: having clear roles, decision-making processes and draft materials in place, as well as a shared understanding across teams of how to respond quickly and consistently. It also means protecting your most valuable asset—trust—by ensuring every message aligns with your mission and stands firmly on the facts.

Another fundamental: clear, streamlined communications. Too often, organizations in crisis situations find themselves playing Whac-A-Mole with the barrage of misinformation. It’s impossible to keep up. Being strategic about how and where you’re sharing information, making a statement and acting as a steady, credible voice is key.

In public health, nobody wins alone

If ever there was a time for strategic partnerships, it’s today. Public health has always been powered by coalitions—from APHA to local alliances—because there’s strength in numbers. Allies give you additional reach in a vital moment and collective cover when

Companies lag on AI policies

Most employees think their company has dropped the ball when it comes to setting up an AI policy in the workplace.

While four out of five respondents to a recent poll from business consulting firm EisnerAmper have had “a net positive experience” using AI in the workplace, considerably fewer report that their companies have a coherent take on how the technology should be employed. Only about a third (36.2 percent) noted that their company had an AI policy, with slightly fewer (34.4 percent) saying that there was a defined AI strategy.

By Steve Barnes

In addition, most employees think their company is dropping the ball when it comes to keeping tabs on how employees use AI. Less than a quarter (22 percent) said that their company monitors AI usage. However, there is a general level of satisfaction as regards how well-versed people in their companies are about the new technology. Almost three quarters (73 percent) of respondents said their managers understood AI either “very well” (29.2 percent)

it’s needed. Whether rallying together with like-minded organizations to co-author an op-ed, sign a statement or stand up a coalition, collaboration makes your messages stronger and harder to ignore. Insight is power in public health

More than ever, navigating today’s turbulence requires a firm grounding in the policymaking currents that affect public health— appropriations for prevention, regulatory shifts in food and drug safety or debates over reproductive health. We often leverage our bipartisan government relations team to suss out what both sides are thinking and discussing—behind the screaming headlines and in the deal room— to develop insights that clients can use to reach their key audiences.

In today’s fractured environment, effective communication requires the three Cs: conviction, clarity and credibility. In public health, those aren’t just communications principles. They’re lifelines for communities that rely on trusted voices to protect health and advance equity. The needle might be tiny, but it can be threaded—and when it is, it saves lives.

Joy Burks and Sarah Hamilton are Partners at Avoq. Susan Spencer is a Senior VP at Avoq. 

or “somewhat well” (43.8 percent). Executive leadership scored just slightly lower, with 41.2 percent regarded as knowing AI “somewhat well” and 27.3 percent seen as understanding it “very well.”

Close to half of respondents also reported that AI had positive on their feelings about their jobs. Almost a quarter (22.4 percent) said they were “much happier at work” and another 27.1 percent claimed to be “somewhat happier.” But almost an equal number (44.6 percent) said they were “neither more nor less” happy at work.

People were not quite so bullish about the accuracy of AI. While 3.4 percent said that they “never” find errors, and 28.4 percent

Continued on next page

The wellness turn

How a shift toward lifestyle narratives is reshaping today’s healthcare coverage.

Healthcare communicators these days is running up against a simple truth: It’s no longer enough to share breakthrough research and expect the headlines to follow. Reporters are telling us, flat out, that the rules have changed. Outlets like USA Today have moved away from covering complex health research. What’s today’s media lens focusing on instead? Stories that connect to everyday life: how people eat, move and live day to day.

That pivot is a wake-up call for all of us in communications. The science and discoveries still matter, of course. But if we want them to resonate, we have to translate them into stories people can imagine in their own kitchens and routines. A great example of that is media coverage of the recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. One of the biggest AAIC2025 stories wasn’t about a biomarker or lab breakthrough; it was about the U.S. POINTER study, a clinical trial that showed that in people at risk for dementia, a combination of exercise, healthy diet and other behaviors improved their brain health.

The coverage didn’t just run in The New York Times and The Washington Post—it spread because readers and viewers could see themselves in it. That’s the wellness turn in action.

The rise of lifestyle framing

This shift toward lifestyle framing isn’t a blip—it’s the direction healthcare storytelling is headed. And who can blame reporters for gravitating to wellness story angles? Consumers are inundated with health content every day—fitness trackers pinging them about steps, wellness influencers dropping hacks on TikTok, headlines promising new diets or brain-boosting foods. People tune out when information feels abstract or overwhelming. They lean in when it feels practical.

That means the bar has moved for communicators. We can’t just announce a discovery. We have to answer the question that audiences are silently asking: What does this mean for me, my family, my community?

What this means for healthcare PR

Translate research into real-world insights. The science may be complicated, but the message to the public shouldn’t be. If there’s one key finding, spell it out. “Here’s what to ask your doctor” or “Here’s how this could affect your daily life.” It’s about turn-

By Mary Erangey

ing breakthroughs into behavior, not just headlines.

Anticipate the lifestyle angle. One of the clearest lessons for healthcare communicators is this: Don’t wait for reporters to dig out the lifestyle implications of your story—bring them forward yourself. Even the most complex research has a human dimension, and it’s our job to surface it. That might mean highlighting how a biomarker study could change the way a family approaches preventive care or showing the ripple effects of new clinical guidelines on daily routines. When we take time to connect the science to people’s lives, we make it both more relevant and more memorable. And if we don’t, the media will either overlook the story altogether or create that lifestyle frame on their own.

Keep it clear, keep it credible. Oversimplification is always a risk in healthcare communications, but so is overwhelming people with confusing details. Our job is to hit the sweet spot—making complex health topics clear and relatable while staying faithful to the science. That means partnering closely with researchers to preserve nuance, being upfront about what’s proven versus what’s still emerging and always respecting the integrity of the data. The real measure of success isn’t just accuracy—it’s whether people can take the insight and apply it to their own lives.

PCI’s perspective and practice

At PCI, we’ve always believed the most compelling healthcare stories live at the intersection of data and human experience. Our work with the Alzheimer’s Association reinforced that in a big way. U.S. POINTER study participants—real people making real lifestyle changes—were the ones who captured media attention. Their stories traveled further than any chart or p-value ever could.

This isn’t about trading science for anecdotes. It’s about making sure every data point has a human face and every abstract finding has a real-world application. That’s how healthcare organizations can both educate and inspire.

The next wellness frontier

The wellness turn is reshaping not just what gets covered but where. Health stories are migrating into podcasts, TikTok explainers, YouTube Shorts and culturally specific outlets

That’s where audiences are spending their

time—and where they expect to find health information that speaks directly to their lived experience.

Communicators need to broaden their definition of success. It’s not just about landing on page one of a national paper (though that’s still a win). It’s also about getting the right story into the right niche channel, where it can change behavior or spark conversation in communities that matter.

Stories people can live

Mary Erangey

The wellness turn is here to stay, and it challenges all of us in healthcare communications to adapt. Our role is no longer just to broadcast scientific breakthroughs. It’s to translate them into stories people can live— stories that encourage healthier choices, greater understanding and deeper trust. Healthcare is complex, but it’s also deeply personal.

At PCI, that’s the work we’re passionate about. It’s why we’ve invested six decades in helping organizations connect with audiences in meaningful ways. You’ll see this commitment reflected in the way we partner with clients to turn discoveries into stories that change lives.

Mary Erangey is Senior Vice President, Healthcare, at Public Communications Inc. 

COMPANIES LAG ON AI

_ Continued from page 30

find them “not very often,” those takes are far outweighed by the 57.3 percent who “sometimes” find them and the 10.3 percent who “always” find them.

Even so, more than a quarter (27.6 percent) say they are “very confident” overall about receiving “accurate and satisfactory outputs” from AI, with another 54.8 percent coming in as “somewhat confident.”

Then there’s the question of how respondents are using the time they allegedly save through their AI use. One use—cited by almost two-thirds (64 percent) of them—is to do more work. Other popular uses, however, include surfing the web (28.1 percent), coffee breaks (18.7 percent), speaking/texting with friends (18.3 percent) and napping (10 percent). But 12.2 percent of users say that the question is “not applicable” since they do not save any time by using AI.

EisnerAmper’s report surveyed 1,000 full-time office workers across the country during summer 2025. The numbers were provided by research provider YouGov. 

O’dwyer’s guide to

HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS

5W PUBLIC RELATIONS

3 Park Ave., 19th Flr.

New York, NY 10016

212/999-5585

Fax: 646/328-1711

info@5wpr.com

www.5wpr.com

IG: @5wpr

Linkedin.com/company/5w-publicrelations

Facebook.com/5WPublicRelations

TikTok: @5wpr_

Blog: www.5wpr.com/new

Additional Office: Miami, FL

Matthew Caiola, CEO

Ronn Torossian, Founder & Chairman

Ilisa Wirgin, Managing Partner, EVP, Health & Wellness

Robyn Ungar, EVP, Health & Wellness

5W Public Relations (5WPR) is a top independently owned PR firm based in New York City. Since 2003, 5W Public Relations has partnered with public and private companies, healthcare and medical institutions, and high-profile individuals to deliver strategic communications that drive real business results.

The agency’s dedicated Health and Wellness PR and Health and Wellness digital marketing Practice specializes in integrated communication campaign builds inclusive thought leadership, brand storytelling, digital media strategies all tailored to the complexities of the health sector. With deep expertise in the space and strong media relationships, 5W crafts compelling narratives that translate science into uptake across key stakeholders and the broader public.

Beyond Health and Wellness, 5WPR serves a broad range of industries, including Consumer Products, Food & Beverage, Beauty, Apparel & Accessories, Home, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, Entertainment & Sports, Nonprofit, Corporate and Crisis Communications, and Digital & Social Media. With 200+ professionals, the agency offers an integrated, results-driven approach across PR, digital, and branding, helping clients connect with their audiences and grow their bottom line.

5WPR’s notable industry clients include GoHealth Urgent Care, Newport Healthcare, Staar Surgical, Iovate Health Sciences, Spring

Health, among many others. 5W was honored as one of Ragan’s Top Places to Work in Communications and recognized on Digiday’s WorkLife Employer of the Year list. The agency’s campaigns have also earned top distinctions, including Consumer Product PR Campaign of the Year, Business-to-Business Campaign of the Year, and Travel & Tourism Campaign of the Year, among others.

AVOQ

1201 New York Ave. NW Suite 900

Washington, D.C. 20005

202/544-8400 teamavoq.com

Steve Elmendorf, Eric Sedler, Paul Frick, Dan Sallick, Jimmy Ryan, Co-Founders & Managing Partners

Locations: Washington D.C., Chicago, New York, New Jersey, and Miami

Amid political uncertainty, cultural tension, and rising reputation risk, Avoq has been a trusted advisor at the intersection of business, policy, and culture. From Fortune 500s to nonprofits, we help clients understand the forces shaping their world and navigate with impact. As a trusted partner in healthcare, we help organizations drive patient advocacy, expand access to care, advance public health initiatives, and promote groundbreaking innovation. For our health clients, we elevate institutions and leaders to shape conversations and deliver impact that improves lives.

Our 200+ team of media relations pros, lobbyists, digital strategists, advertising creatives, writers, engineers, researchers, and data analysts all work together as one team, providing the attention you expect of a boutique firm with the resources of a national agency.

THE BLISS GROUP

230 Park Ave., Second Floor West New York, NY 10169

212/840-1661

Fax: 212/840-1663

www.theblissgrp.com

Cortney Stapleton, CEO

Michael Roth, Managing Partner

Alexis Odesser, Greg Hassel, Keri Toomey, Reed Handley, EVPs

Bill Smith, Megan Tuck, Miles Hill, SVPs

Adam Schwartzman, Alana Gold, Meghan Busch, Meghan Powers, GVPs

Ben Davis, Courtland Long, Janice Miller, Jean Logerfo, JP Letourneau, Marisha Chinsky, Sarah Dougherty, Sarah Eisler, Emma Skultety, VPs

The Bliss Group is an insights-driven marketing communications agency that blends data science with the art of storytelling to target priority audiences with precision, empathy, and purpose. Grounded in our cross-sector expertise, our healthcare practice spans consumer health and wellness, the business of health, and life sciences, with deep experience reaching patients, caregivers, providers, payers, and physicians. Our differentiation lies in our connectivity and understanding of how healthcare is delivered, managed, and financed in today’s complex healthcare ecosystem. By blending analytics with compelling human narratives, we target priority audiences with the right messaging at the right moment, ensuring every campaign resonates with empathy and purpose. Recognized as PR Week’s Outstanding Corporate Agency of the Year, PRovoke Best Agencies in the U.S. and PRovoke Best Agencies to Work For, we continue to set the standard for innovative marketing solutions that drive results for our clients.

Client Sample: CVS Health and Aetna, DaVita and Vibrant Emotional Health.

BOSPAR

Serving 15 locations, including: San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Austin. 844/526-7727 (844/5-BOSPAR) Results@bospar.com www.bospar.com @BosparPR Youtu.be/sF2XaYkmwyw

Chris Boehlke, Curtis Sparrer, Tom Carpenter, Principals

Paula Bernier, Chief Content Officer

Denyse Dabrowski, Senior Vice President

Sarah Dray, MPH, Content Director, Healthcare

At Bospar, we are privileged to collaborate with disrupters across

healthcare, biotech, fertility, mental health and health sciences education dedicated to driving real, positive impact on patient outcomes. Our clients are advancing life-saving therapies, expanding access to inclusive care and training the next generation of providers to address critical workforce shortages. We ensure that the healthcare industry —and the world—recognize and understand these critical contributions.

With a proven track record of successfully helping healthcare innovators tell their stories, Bospar stands at the forefront of health communications. We make complex science and policy accessible, credible and compelling to the audiences that matter most. Our healthcare practice spans media relations, thought leadership, crisis communications, digital engagement and reputation management.

Whether guiding organizations through sensitive issues or positioning leaders as trusted voices, we help healthcare innovators reach the right people, in the right places, with results they can see and feel. We understand the profound shifts underway in healthcare, pharma and medtech, driven by breakthroughs in AI, machine learning and digital technologies. These innovations go beyond mere buzzwords—they deliver concrete advancements in biomedical research, diagnostics, treatment planning and patient engagement.

We also recognize the challenges that come with these shifts, from an aging population and provider burnout to barriers in care accessibility. Yet, alongside these challenges are remarkable technological advancements and groundbreaking drug therapies that aim to improve efficiency, enhance care quality and alleviate provider burnout.

What sets Bospar apart is our ability to give healthcare innovators a bigger voice than their size alone might suggest. As a remote-first agency, we compete, and succeed, against firms many times larger. Our work has sparked national conversations about health and told stories that helped new therapies and technologies reach the people who need them most.

At Bospar, healthcare is a commitment to helping organizations shape the future of medicine, patient care and public health by mak-

ing sure the right people are paying attention.

What can we do to help you get known fast, accelerate adoption and drive impact?

BRG COMMUNICATIONS

201 N. Union Street, Suite 110 Alexandria, VA 22314 703/739-8350 info@brgcommunications.com www.brgcommunications.com Facebook.com/ BRGcommunications Instagram.com/ BRGcommunications Linkedin.com/company/brgommunications

Jane Barwis, President & CEO Michael Sloan, COO

BRG Communications is a full-service agency partnering with Fortune 500 companies, national nonprofits, trade associations, and medical societies-all committed to improving lives through safety, health, and wellness.

For more than 20 years, our clients have trusted us to create memorable platforms that go beyond simply telling a brand’s story. Through our comprehensive service offerings ranging from executive positioning and campaign development to effective and consistent earned media coverage and compelling influencer programs, we are proud of our work that has driven public awareness, sparked positive behavior change.

BRG approaches all endeavors operating from our mission—Communications for Better Living™. Together with our clients, we are:

• Advancing the power of medical technology to save lives.

• Building awareness of how to keep schools, homes, and workplaces healthy.

• Generating support for military members and their families.

• Providing communities substance abuse awareness and prevention programs.

• Educating on the lifesaving power of preventive medicine.

BRG has been named one of the fastest growing private companies in America as an honoree on the Inc. 5000 lists for 2024 and 2025, as well as a Great Places to Work workplace for the fourth consecutive year.

CG LIFE

657 W. Lake St. Chicago, IL 60661 781/608-7091 eclausen@cglife.com cglife.com

Erik Clausen, Managing Director, Strategic Communications Group

Bill Berry, Blair Ciecko, Karen

Media

Jenna Urban, VP, Public Relations

CG Life leverages over 20 years of experience to offer a wide range of capabilities that help life science and biopharma companies transform care for patients with rare and hard-to-treat diseases. CG Life’s Strategic Communications Group features centers of excellence in corporate, scientific, and medical communications, social media, patient advocacy, and crisis communications advisory. The CG Life team’s knowledge and expertise make the agency a key partner for its clients throughout pre-clinical, clinical, and commercial stages. Offices: San Diego, Chicago, New York.

Key Clients: Avidity Biosciences, GRIN Therapeutics, Intelliguard, ITF Therapeutics, KBI Biopharma, Roche, Salk Institute, Sionna Therapeutics, TriLink Biotechnologies

COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY GROUP (CSG)

44 Cook Street, Suite 710 Denver, CO 80206 wearecsg.com

Steven Shapiro, Founder and President Kayla Weimer, Vice President, Healthcare

At CSG, we believe healthcare marketing and PR should reflect the people it serves. As a full-service PR and intent marketing agency, we partner with small-to-midsize healthcare teams to deliver scale, sophistication and specialization. Our approach emphasizes the human side of healthcare marketing, transforming “how it’s always been” into “how it should be.” With decades of proven experience, we help clients build trust, strengthen brands and navigate an industry defined by regulation and change. Grounded in realism and relevance, we create precise strategies that resonate with audiences on a personal level. Our nuanced insight allows us to simplify complexity and communicate with clarity, while our track record demonstrates success in connecting organizations to patients, providers and communities.

COYNE PUBLIC RELATIONS

5 Wood Hollow Road Parsippany, NJ 07054 973/588-2000 www.coynepr.com/industry/ healthcare

501 7th Avenue

_ Continued on page 34

COYNE PUBLIC RELATIONS

Continued from page 33

New York, NY 10018

212/938-0166

Kelly Dencker, Executive Vice President, Director of Healthcare, kdencker@coynepr.com

Kevin Lamb, Senior Vice President, klamb@coynepr.com

Linda Bernstein Jasper, Senior Vice President, lbjasper@coynepr. com

Erin Drelick, Senior Vice President edrelick@coynepr.com

There is nothing more precious in life than health. And there is perhaps nothing more personally rewarding than helping someone in need. Parents, caregivers, volunteers, medical professionals, researchers, advocates—they all share a common purpose: to help people. We embrace that purpose and believe we can make a difference by connecting people in need to a treatment, service, or solution that in some way helps improve their lives.

In partnership with our clients, we embrace the opportunity to change lives by guiding health journeys through information, insights, and inspiration. Data tells you what’s happening, stories tell you why it matters. Insights inform new conversations, frame new perspectives, and inspire people to think differently. Storytelling brings them to life through compelling narratives and inspirational tales of triumph that turn data and content into meaningful connections. That’s why we get up in the morning.

From navigating FDA approvals to ushering in the next generation of digital therapeutics, we help brands break through—not just

in media, but in mindsets. With award-winning work in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, consumer health and beyond, our team knows how to simplify the complex, build trust, and drive action.

Because when it comes to health, everything else comes second.

CROSBY

705 Melvin Avenue Annapolis, MD 21401 410/626-0805 www.crosbymarketing.com

Raymond Crosby, President & CEO

Denise Aube, EVP, Healthcare Practice Leader

Anna Zawislanski, EVP, Government Practice Leader

Suresh John, EVP, Digital Strategy & Analytics

Pam Atkinson, EVP, Director of Connection Planning

Rob Schnapp, Executive Creative Director

The Crosby team is passionate about helping clients Inspire Actions That Matter™—actions that positively impact people’s lives and contribute to the greater good.

Now in its 51st year, Crosby helps clients make powerful connections with their customers, constituents, and communities to shape attitudes, inspire behavior change, and motivate action. The firm’s award-winning campaigns, which integrate paid, earned, shared and owned media, have touched the lives of virtually everyone in America and people across the globe.

The firm has specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits and Causes, and Military and Veterans. Clients include the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), DAV (Disabled Ameri-

To help bridge the mental health treatment gap, Coyne supported the national award-winning launch of Rejoyn™—the first prescription digital therapeutic of its kind cleared by the FDA for major depressive disorder. Leveraging a blend of science-backed storytelling, data visualization, and expert-driven media relations, Coyne generated more than 245 placements and 1.6 billion impressions in the first week post-clearance, including CNN, NPR, and STAT News. The launch positioned Rejoyn as a transformative option for patients—and a breakthrough moment in digital health.

can Veterans), Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Dept. of Defense/Military OneSource, Kaiser Permanente, Peace Corps, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Social Security Administration, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, and USAA Educational Foundation.

Crosby is a Google Premier Partner, #23 on O’Dwyer’s list of national communications firms, #1 for nonprofits and #11 for healthcare, and a member of the PR Council, and American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As). The firm has offices in Maryland’s state capital of Annapolis and in Washington, D.C. To see case studies and capabilities, visit www.crosbymarketing.com.

CROWE PR

2869 Historic Decatur Road San Diego, CA 92106 info@crowepr.com www.crowepr.com @crowepr

Anna Crowe, Founder and CEO

Natalia Barclay, Vice President of Communications

Janine Warner, Integrated PR Director, Healthcare & Tech

Crowe PR is an ROI-focused

integrated public relations agency specializing in brand awareness and reputation management within the healthcare technology industry, including medical devices, genomics, B2B tech, wellness supplements and more.

Headquartered in San Diego with a global client base, Crowe PR elevates brands through strategic storytelling, earned media, influencer relations, social media and partnerships. The agency blends creativity with data-driven insights to deliver measurable results that build visibility, credibility and lasting connections in today’s crowded marketplace.

Crowe PR’s strategic approach, creative mindset and focus on positively impacting humanity has resulted in numerous accolades, including PRSA San Diego Bernays Awards, PR News’ 2025 Agency Elite Top 120, Ragan’s Top Women in Communications 2025 and more. The company has also been named to the esteemed Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing, privately-owned companies in America for three consecutive

The November issue of O’Dwyer’s will profile technology PR firms. If you would like to be profiled, contact Associate Editor Steve Barnes at 646/843-2089 or steve@odwyerpr.com

years. For more information visit www.crowepr.com.

EDELMAN

250 Hudson St., 16th Floor

New York, NY 10013

212/768-0550

Fax: 212/704-0117

www.edelman.com

Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Our 6,000 people in more than 60 offices deliver communications strategies that give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders. Our honors include the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for PR; Advertising Age’s 2019 A-List; the Holmes Report’s 2018 Global Digital Agency of the Year; and, five times, Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Intelligence (research) and United Entertainment Group (entertainment, sports, lifestyle).

FINN PARTNERS

1675 Broadway

New York, NY 10019

212/583-2791

www.finnpartners.com/sectors/ health.html

Instagram: @FinnPartners

LinkedIn: @Finn Partners

Fern Lazar, Managing Partner/ Global Health Practice Lead

Julian Tyndale-Biscoe, Senior Partner/UK Health Group

Jason Cao, Managing Partner / Head of Health and Corp. Comm., China

David Carey, Senior Partner/ Health Investor Relations Lead

Mark Chataway, Managing Partner, Global Health Impact

Nicole Cottrill, Managing Partner/ Health Provider Services Lead

Beth Friedman, Senior Partner/ Atlanta Health Information Group

Lead

Joe Foster, Partner/ West Coast Health and Lifestyle Health Group

Richard Hatzfeld, Senior Partner/ Global Health Impact Lead

Aman Gupta, Managing Partner/ Health Practice Asia Lead

Shivani Gupta, Managing Partner/ Culture & Brand Reputation Health Asia

Glenn Jasper, Managing Partner/ Jerusalem and Health Innovation

Lead

Tom Jones, Managing Partner/ NY Health and US Biopharma Lead

Christopher Nial, Senior Partner, Global Health Impact

Ryan O’Grady, Partner, Global Health Social Media and Influencer

Strategy Lead

Sophie Taylor-Roberts, Managing Partner, UK Health Group Lead

Mina Volovitch, Senior Partner/ Paris Health Group

Nate West, Partner/Southeast Health Group

Gil Bashe, Chair Global Health and Purpose

FINN Partners champions innovation across the health ecosystem. Our clients include the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, payer systems, and bold innovators in digital health, life sciences, medical devices, and health IT.

Ranked among the largest independent health practices worldwide, the FINN Global Health Practice brings together more than 300 specialists across nearly 100 countries. O’Dwyer’s ranks FINN among the top health agencies, and both PRovoke and HITMC have honored us as “Healthcare Agency of the Year.” With one of the industry’s strongest client-retention records, we are proud to be longterm partners helping organizations navigate complex challenges and achieve lasting impact.

FINN delivers value across the communications spectrum: product and brand launches, clinical-trial patient recruitment, digital marketing, investor relations, issues management, scientific publication support, thought-leadership strategy, and earned and social media.

What sets FINN apart is knowledge and results. We help clients introduce new medicines and technologies that improve and extend life, unite patient communities through advocacy platforms, advance groundbreaking science,

raise awareness of unmet health needs, and elevate the work of provider systems.

FINN is consistently ranked among the industry’s “Best Places to Work.” Our culture of collaboration and purpose attracts and retains top talent—ensuring clients benefit from passionate teams dedicated to their success.

Across the industry, FINN is recognized for helping clients make a measurable difference—transforming people’s lives by championing health innovation.

FRENCH/WEST/ VAUGHAN

112 East Hargett St. Raleigh, NC 27601

919/832-6300 www.fwv-us.com

Rick French, Chairman & CEO David Gwyn, President / Principal Natalie Best, Chief Operating Officer / Principal

French/West/Vaughan (FWV) is the Southeast’s leading public relations, public affairs, advertising and digital media agency, a distinction it has held since 2001. FWV has received 39 Global or National Agency of the Year honors over the past 28 years, including being named the nation’s Best PR Agency of 2024 by a jury of the country’s top journalists. Its professional services practice area is ranked 14th in the country.

FWV’s category acumen includes private and clinical practices, research labs, health IT companies, laboratory and medical device manufacturers, drug development

firms, weight loss centers, medical schools and large pharmaceutical manufacturers. The agency specializes in helping its healthcare clients increase brand awareness among key decision makers for their product lines and services through targeted media outreach, advocacy marketing campaigns, public affairs, special events, trade show support, emerging media applications and crisis communications.

FWV’s healthcare and medical marketing experience includes work done on behalf of: A4 Health Systems, American Addiction Centers, Amgen, Arrivo BioVentures, Avmacol, bioMérieux, Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Cardinal Health, Catalyst Clinical Research, CeNeRx, Eat Well, EpiPen, Ester-C, Flywheel, Foresight, GlaxoSmithKline, Isagenix, Istari Oncology, Locus Biosciences, MDeverywhere, Medcryption, New Hope Fertility Center, Nutramax Laboratories Consumer Care, Inc., O2 Fitness, Octapharma Plasma, One Medical, Ontex, Pfizer, Proctor & Gamble (Prilosec), Quest Diagnostics, Ride for Mental Health, Southtech, Sterling Healthcare, Structure House, TFS HealthScience, The V Foundation for Cancer Research, University of North Carolina Institute for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, WakeMed and Wellspring.

In addition to its diverse range of healthcare and medical marketing clients, FWV’s passionate team of expert storytellers works with many of the world’s leading companies and brands, including

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FRENCH/WEST/VAUGHAN

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Wrangler, ABB, Proximo, Melitta, Teen Cancer America, and the N.C. Department of Transportation, just to name a few. FWV is the parent company of fashion and lifestyle PR firm AMP3 (New York City), pet and animal health practice Fetching PR; and Prix Productions, a feature film and documentary production company. FWV employs more than 140 public relations, public affairs, social media, advertising, digital marketing and content creation professionals across its five offices nationwide.

G&S BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

111 West 33rd Street, 22nd Floor New York, NY 10001 212/697-2600 www.gscommunications.com

Locations: New York, Chicago and Raleigh

Steve Halsey, Chief Growth Officer shalsey@gscommunications.com

Anne Green, CEO

Some view healthcare through a single lens. At G&S Business Communications, our lens is a prism.

We support a rainbow of players: physicians and patients, hospitals and health systems, providers and payers, technology platforms and healthcare services, system strategists and policy professionals working in every setting. This kaleidoscope of care drives our passion and impact.

We pair years of healthcare sector experience with critical knowledge gained across other industries like professional and financial services. This generates new avenues of insight to help our clients tell the right story, in the right way, to the right audience.

We are part of the G&S Integrated Marketing Communications Group, where media strategists, storytellers, marketers, analysts and creatives help engage audiences and inspire action, resulting in business growth.

Our clients are Fortune 500, mid-market companies and innovative start-ups that fuel transformation across six key industries. This includes: Advanced Manufacturing & Energy; Agribusiness; Financial & Professional Services; Healthcare & Wellness; Home & Building; and, Landscaping &

The FINN Partners Health Practice and industry friends stand proudly with The Jed Foundation and other NGOs to sustain lives. JED has a vital mission to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults, echoing FINN’s commitment to ensuring every voice is heard and every life matters.

Outdoor Living. We offer a range of specialized services including: Strategy & Insights; Branding; Public Relations; Social Media; Marketing & Analytics; Content; Advertising; and, Web.

We are proudly independent and midsized. This keeps us nimble and able to provide the senior counsel our clients need. We are a hybrid operation with three main offices in Chicago, Raleigh, and our headquarters in New York City. As a decades-long partner in PROI Worldwide, we also offer our clients a global network of in-language and in-time zone support across 60 countries and 165 major cities including London, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

Learn more at www.gscommunications.com.

GAVIN

50 East 4th Avenue York, PA 17404 717/848-8155 pr@gavinadv.com evolving-influence.com

Serena Spiezio, Executive Vice President

Amanda Peterson Martin, Senior Director, Public Relations

Jennifer Kendall, Senior Account Director, Public Relations

GAVIN is a nationally ranked brand strategy firm with an award-winning public relations team specializing in health and human services. We partner with hospital systems, community health centers, associations, departments of health, and specialty rehabil-

itation providers to strengthen reputation, drive engagement, and advance health outcomes across diverse communities.

Our expertise spans both public and private sectors, guided by a leadership team actively serving on health system boards. We understand the complex challenges facing healthcare organizations today—workforce shortages, policy shifts, health equity, and community trust—and deliver communications strategies that meet them with clarity and impact.

From research-driven messaging and Spanish-language campaigns to reputation management, crisis communications, digital strategy, and media relations, we help health organizations evolve their influence and expand access to care. Our work has improved awareness, shifted behaviors, and built resilience in urban, rural, and suburban communities nationwide.

As part of The YGS Group family of companies, GAVIN offers end-to-end communications support—including branding, creative, digital, and public relations —helping healthcare leaders navigate change and lead conversations that matter.

GLOBAL GATEWAY ADVISORS

7 WTC / 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10006 212/710-8104 globalgatewayadvisors.com Linkedin.com/company/globalgateway-advisors Instagram.com/gg_advisors/

Matthew Doering, CEO + Founder

Carol Harrison, President, Sr. Partner + Head of Health

David Fishman, COO + Senior Partner

MaryJo Fitzgerald, Partner + Head of West Coast

Strategic Communications for a Healthier, More Connected World

At Global Gateway Advisors, we see strategic communication as a catalyst that turns potential into progress. We translate health challenges into narratives that engage, educate, and motivate—driving awareness, shifting perceptions and supporting decisions that improve lives.

What Sets Us Apart: Our proprietary Gateway Insights Framework guides strategic planning by aligning narratives with stakeholder priorities, business goals, and the lived experiences of patients and providers. Each engagement is led by senior strategists with expertise across pharma, biotech, medtech, payors, providers, healthtech, and advocacy groups, and who anticipate and leverage regulatory, cultural and systemic developments.

What We Offer: We help C-suite executives and scientific leaders define their voice with clarity, ensuring their message is understood, trusted, and acted upon from boardrooms to frontlines. We focus on amplifying executive thought leadership while making complex research accessible across all audiences. We secure top-tier media coverage for groundbreaking research and activate advocacy for vulnerable populations.

GOODMAN MEDIA INTERNATIONAL, INC.

600 Fifth Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10020

Contact: Maryellen Mooney, Senior Vice President 212/576-2700, x7225 or 631/704-6102 www.goodmanmedia.com

Tom Goodman, Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer

Marie Vogliano, Chief Financial Officer

Sabrina Strauss, Chief Operating Officer

Liane Ramirez Swierk, Executive Vice President

Maryellen Mooney, Senior Vice President

Edwige Buteau, Vice President

Goodman Media International (GMI) is a strategic communications agency with an outstanding record of successfully raising the visibility of its clients. For more than 25 years, GMI has helped elite clients stand out through integrated campaigns that move the needle, drive business development, and exceed expectations.

GMI Health is Goodman Media’s health care practice that seamlessly bridges the gap between the evolving health care landscape and effective communications. With deep understanding of the intricate nuances within the industry, we design impactful communications campaigns, create targeted messaging, orchestrate advocacy initiatives, position thought leaders, and offer perspective on impactful regulatory developments and industry leadership trends.

Our clients have included: RWJBarnabas Health; Centers Health Care; ArchCare; Guthrie; Intermountain Health; Hospital for Special Surgery; Atrium Health; Sanford Health; Valley Health System; Spectrum Health; The Hebrew Home at Riverdale; Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health; Institute for Healthcare Improvement; Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation; Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research; Mental Health Association of New York City; The Buoniconti Fund; Scope; Allergy Standards; U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” rankings; and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Reach out to us at health@goodmanmedia.com.

THE HOYT ORGANIZATION

2370 W. Carson Street, Suite 265 Torrance, CA 90501

310/373-0103 www.hoytorg.com @thehoytorg (Instagram)

@The Hoyt Organization (LinkedIn & Facebook)

Leeza Hoyt, President Andrew King, Associate Vice President

The Hoyt Organization (THO) is one of Los Angeles’ top independent PR firms, known for helping companies connect with the right audiences, at the right time, with the right message. For more than 25 years, THO has delivered growth-driven communications strategies for start-ups, public and

private companies, and non-profits across multiple industries.

Healthcare is a core strength. From supporting mental health providers and major medical institutions to introducing breakthrough medical tests, THO has shaped campaigns that drive awareness and impact.

What sets THO apart is strategy. Our integrated communications programs are built on precise, targeted plans that cut through the noise and position clients at the forefront of their industries. With expertise spanning earned media, digital and social platforms, and crisis management, we build awareness, trust, and measurable results that amplify your brand.

As the Los Angeles partner of the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), THO combines the resources of an international agency with the specialized, hands-on service of a boutique firm. This dual strength enables us to successfully serve clients locally, nationally, and internationally—helping brands grow, thrive, and stand out in competitive markets.

HUNTER

One World Trade Center, Floor 68 New York, NY 10007 212/679-6600

Grace Leong, CEO Gigi García Russo, Chief Transformation Officer. Melissa Rooney, Managing Director Contact: smormar@hunterpr.com Samara Farber Mormar, CMO

HUNTER is an award-winning integrated marketing communications firm with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London and partnerships that extend our reach globally. Beginning with research-driven insights, HUNTER executes strategic, integrated programs that build brand equity, increase engagement and drive measurable business results for OTC products and healthcare services. The 300+ person firm employs a powerful blend of marketing solutions including strategic planning, corporate communications, earned media relations, social and digital media, talent and influencer engagement, experiential marketing, multicultural outreach, and content creation and distribution across all platforms and channels to earn attention and drive positive reputation for some of the world’s best known and most beloved brands. Today more than ever, consumers’ mindsets about overall wellness have shifted and they are

focused on finding ways to proactively prioritize their health. Our HUNTER: Health and Wellness team is on a mission to ensure that consumers find brands and products that help them live healthier, happier lives. By collaborating with experts and influential voices, like-minded partners and identifying target-right media outlets, we ensure that brand messages get to the right audience in the places consumers are looking for wellness information.

In partnership with some of the most respected consumer health companies including KENVUE, Church & Dwight, Reckitt, New Chapter and Merck Animal Health, HUNTER’s work has covered the medicine cabinet from oral care, allergy, sanitary protection, pain and pregnancy, to digestive health, vitamins, supplements, weight-loss, heart health and COVID safety.

ICR HEALTHCARE

685 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017 www.icrinc.com

Mark Klausner, Managing Partner mark.klausner@icrhealthcare.com

ICR Healthcare has established itself as one of the leading global providers of strategic communications and advisory services for startups and mature public companies alike. The group specializes in integrated Public Relations and Investor Relations services for healthcare companies and has complementary expertise in digital branding, capital markets advisory, IPO advisory, crisis communication, and corporate governance advisory. ICR Healthcare’s team of over 80 professionals works with more than 200 clients across all sectors of healthcare, including life sciences, medical devices/diagnostics, healthcare services and digital health.

Whether the emphasis is on corporate, scientific or marketing communications, patient education and advocacy, preparing for an IPO or raising additional capital, we understand that every client is different, and so is their story. With an innate understanding of the many complex dynamics and influencers within the healthcare ecosystem and a clear focus on the financial impact of all communications, ICR Healthcare takes a hands-on approach to understand your unique corporate story, ensuring that your message is clear and memorable to make a lasting impression with the audiences that matter most.

JPA HEALTH

1101 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 600

Washington, DC 20036

202/591-4000 www.jpa.com

Carrie Jones, CEO

Chris Sousa, CFO

Colleen Carter, Head of Life Sciences

Adam Pawluk, Head of JPA Labs

Tish Van Dyke, Exec. VP, Purpose Practices

JPA Health is a health innovation agency with a powerful mission: help people live healthier lives. Established in 2007, the independent, woman-owned agency brings together flexible solutions in public and investor relations, brand marketing, medical communications, and patient advocacy across Life Sciences, Health Tech & Services, and Public Health.

Leveraging our proprietary, AI-driven GRETEL® insights engine, our data-driven communications and campaigns amplify real stories, bringing clarity to complex health challenges and inspiring meaningful progress. With offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Philadelphia and London, JPA professionals work seamlessly together to deliver innovative solutions to clients around the globe.

In January 2025, JPA Health announced the launch of its Investor Relations (IR) practice, led by SVP Sarah McCabe. Sarah partners closely with 2025 hire Kevin Davidson, EVP Communications & Advocacy, on an integrated communications approach that goes beyond traditional life sciences PR, offering clients the ability to build stronger connections across multi-stakeholder audiences that include financial audiences and strategics. Carol Patel also joined JPA as EVP Omnichannel Engagement, adding to the agency’s ability to deliver audience-centric and data-driven solutions across all channels.

In April 2025, JPA was named Med Comms Agency of the Year at the 2025 Manny Awards, hosted by MedAdNews in New York. The award marks a major milestone in JPA’s growth—a powerful validation of the way JPA is redefining excellence by responding faster, solving more complex challenges, and delivering deeper solutions for clients. JPA Health was also named one of the “16 Best PR Agencies in North America” by PRovoke Media and is a finalist for Medical Marketing & Media Midsize Healthcare Agency of the Year.

Clients: Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Alnylam, America’s Poison Centers, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Kidney Fund, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Glaukos, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger Health, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Merck, National Health Service UK, National Institutes of Health (NIH), RxBenefits, Sanofi, Society for Women’s Health Research, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

LAVOIEHEALTHSCIENCE

10 Post Office Square, Suite 800 Boston, MA 02109 617/374-8800 hello@lavoiehealthscience.com wwww.lavoiehealthscience.com

Donna L. LaVoie, President & CEO

Lisa DeScenza, SVP, New Business & Marketing

Nina Gill, SVP, Public Relations & Communications

Paul Sagan, VP, Investor Relations & Financial Communications

LaVoieHealthScience partners with emerging, commercial, and government organizations across the health and science ecosystem to protect reputation and advance

mission-critical goals. With hubs in Boston and South Florida, we specialize in translating the complexity of science, medicine, and technology into clear narratives that resonate in highly regulated industries. Our expertise spans messaging and positioning, investor relations, corporate communications, marketing, and public relations.

For more than 24 years, we have earned the trust of our clients by developing over 450 communications plans that connect them seamlessly with key stakeholders including media, investors, advocacy, and KOLs. Our award-winning work, recognized with more than 60 public relations, marketing, and investor relations honors, has also placed us in the Inc. 5000 Hall of Fame.

As a certified healthcare communications firm, we serve pre-commercial and commercial clients worldwide, along with U.S. government agencies. Through alliances with Omnicom Public Relations Group and IPREX, we offer clients access to more than 3,000 health experts globally. Our domain expertise is broad and deep, spanning animal science, autoimmune diseases, CAR-T, cell and gene therapy, diagnostics, digital health, generational AI, CNS, CRISPR, immuno-oncology, lysosomal diseases, medtech, neurodegeneration, oncology, ophthalmology, precision medicine, rare diseases, regenerative medicine, pharma/biotech services, industry organizations, and government.

At LaVoieHealthScience, our purpose- and values-driven approach keeps us ahead of industry change, ensuring our clients are positioned to meet tomorrow’s needs with clarity, confidence, and impact.

MEDIASOURCE

Serving healthcare brands nationwide

1800 W 5th Ave. Columbus, OH 43212 614/932-9950 info@mediasourcetv.com www.mediasourcetv.com

Lisa Arledge Powell, CEO and Founder Kevin Volz, Principal and Senior Vice President of Strategy Shannon McCormick, Principal and Vice President of PR Lyn Tolan, Director of Storytelling

MediaSource is a certified women-owned healthcare communications agency that helps organizations meet business goals by combining storytelling with strategy. With a 27-year history of elevating healthcare brands across the U.S., our team believes that uncovering and curating compelling stories has the potential to change and save lives.

There’s a reason why we were named 2025’s Best Boutique Agency by the Public Relations Society of America. We understand the realities of the healthcare industry and know how to garner results that

drive patients, recruitment, reputation and business. Our award-winning collection of veteran public relations experts, producers and strategic analysts have the expertise to take your projects to the next level.

Let’s get to work discovering and creating stories that will help you reach your goals. To learn about our PR, thought leadership content, video storytelling and other specialties, visit mediasourcetv.com or reach out to the team here: info@ mediasourcetv.com.

PADILLA

1101 West River Parkway Suite 400 (Headquarters) Minneapolis, MN 55415 612/455-1700 PadillaCo.com

Jen Dobrzelecki, Senior Vice President, Health

Padilla is a full-service integrated agency transforming brands and organizations through strategically creative communications. Our omnichannel work across health, agriculture, technology, financial services, food and beverage, and nutrition is consistently recognized with industry honors such as PRWeek Awards, PRovoke SABRE/ IN2 SABRE Awards, and PRSA Anvil Awards, among others. Padilla operates in seven cities in the U.S. through its family of brands, which includes SHIFT (performance communications), FoodMinds (food and nutrition affairs), and Joe Smith (brand strategy).

Health clients include Abbott, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Hackensack Meridian Health, IQVIA, Lupus Foundation of America, Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, Miracle-Ear, National Committee for Quality Assurance, NMDP, Sanofi and Thea Pharma.

Padilla’s best-in-class Health team consists of highly experienced health specialists that blend data, technology and creativity with human empathy to inspire action that matters across the health care and patient ecosystem, including: Associations & Nonprofits, Consumer Health & Wellness, Health IT & Digital Health, Hospitals & Health Systems, Med-tech, Device & Diagnostics, Payers & Managed Care, Pharma & Biotech, Public Health, and Supply Chain & Distribution.

As an AVENIR GLOBAL company and a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, the agency provides services to clients through 115 offices worldwide. Transform with purpose at PadillaCo.com.

125 High St., 2nd Floor Boston, MA 02110 617/502-4300

info@pancomm.com

www.pancommunications.com

LinkedIn.com/company/pancommunications

Philip A. Nardone, President & CEO

Mark Nardone, Chief Marketing Officer

Elizabeth Famiglietti, Chief People and Culture Officer

Darlene Doyle, Chief Client Officer

Megan Kessler, Chief of Integrated Marketing & Strategy

Gary Torpey, Chief Financial Officer

Mendy Werne, Managing Director, PANBlast

Catherine Coffey, Managing Dir., UK

PAN is the brand-to-demand agency that empowers possibility for B2B tech and healthcare companies worldwide. Forged from PR, we are storytellers at heart with deep industry experience and a strategic, data-driven mindset. We move ideas across media, people to action, campaigns to results, and brands to the next stage of their journey. Our special sauce is a mix of dedicated senior leaders, creative makers, everyday superstars, and analytical minds that turn data intelligence into key insights. In practical terms, that means uncovering and deploying breakthrough tech, like AI/automation, to maximize the value of client investments. We don’t just work harder; we work smarter.

After 30 years in business, we are specialists in the art of telling brand stories, and experts in the science of marketing and driving demand. Recognized as a 2x Tech Agency of the Year, Data-Driven Agency of the Year, and (most recently) Outstanding Tech Agency of the Year, we thrive at the forefront of disruption and help global brands navigate their most critical transformational moments.

Today, PAN supports the full lifecycle of a brand, from Series A rounds to IPOs and beyond. Wherever you are in your journey, PAN is here to help you grow.

Clients Include: Algolia, Amdocs, Aurora Solar, BitDefender, Certera, Cornerstone, DISCO, eClinical, Extreme Networks, Genpact, iCIMS, Locus Robotics, Mimecast, Mission Cloud, ObjectFirst, PAR Technology, Solera, Thales, The Predictive Index, Toshiba/Americas, UPS Capital and Vertex.

PERRY COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

980 9th Street, Suite 1480 Sacramento, CA 95814 info@perrycom.com www.perrycom.com Twitter: @perrycomgroup LinkedIn: @perry-communications Facebook: @PerryCommunications

Kassy Perry, President/CEO

Kaitlin Perry, Managing Partner

Megan Yee, Vice President

Perry Communications Group is a California-based public affairs firm that operates at the local, statewide, and national levels. We work at the center of issues that matter and give new perspective to the causes and events making headlines today, as well as those that will in the future. We shape ideas, opinions, decisions, and social change. PCG tackles pressing health care issues including those dealing with public health, health care reform, health care disparities, and chronic diseases. The bottom line for us is always the same—we’re invested in the cause and our clients’ work.

PCG’s current health care clients include Alignment Health, Bleeding Disorders Council of California, California Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, California Chronic Care Coalition, Center for Inherited Blood Disorders, Chronic Care Policy Alliance, Community Access National Network, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association, Porosome Therapeutics, and the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation.

PUBLIC

COMMUNICATIONS INC. (PCI)

Founding Partner of Worldcom Public Relations Group

161 N. Clark St., Suite 2050 Chicago, IL 60601 312/558-1770

lets_talk@pcipr.com www.pcipr.com

Jill Allread, APR, Fellow PRSA, CEO

Craig Pugh, APR, President

Public Communications Inc. (PCI) is a team of experts passionate about healthcare and healthy communities. More than 60 years after our founding, healthcare communication strategies that deliver client solutions and results remain

at the core of our national, independent agency. Healthcare is complex and deeply personal. PCI’s Healthcare Practice works across the continuum of care to champion real stories and create space for voices that often go unheard. Whether you need to reach patients, physicians, allied health professionals, policymakers or other stakeholders, we know how to make your messages move audiences to act. PCI’s Healthcare Practice connects the science and practice of healthcare to create understanding.

Healthcare represents more than half of PCI’s client work. Our clients include medical and dental associations, start-ups looking for communications and marketing strategy and visibility, and university health systems. We launch products and manage lifecycle communications; run consumer awareness and screening programs on a turnkey basis; develop professional relations campaigns designed to draw referrals; and develop digital media strategies, campaigns and platforms including efficient online newsrooms and content-rich websites.

PCI’s philosophy is to build client programs on a foundation of thoughtful, strategic counsel. Our job is to help clients communicate what they have to say so it is heard, believed and leads to positive action. We take pride in our reputation for delivering creative, strategic and well-executed programs on time, within budget and to the satisfaction of our clients, exceeding expectations at every level.

PUGH & TILLER

1997 Annapolis Exchange Parkway, Suite 300 Annapolis, MD 21401 410/972-4622 info@pughandtillerpr.com www.pughandtillerpr.com

Jessica Tiller, Co-Founder and Partner

Matthew Pugh, Co-Founder and Partner

Pugh & Tiller is an award-winning public relations and integrated marketing firm that helps B2B companies reach, engage, and influence the right audiences in order to achieve their business goals. Staffed with senior-level executives only, our services include public relations, branding and identity development, website and application design and development, integrated marketing, crisis communications,

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RACEPOINT GLOBAL

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and graphic design. Since launching nearly 20 years ago, our focus is, and has always been, about creating programs for clients that are built on well-conceived strategies that generate exceptional, award-winning results.

In addition to serving a range of industries, Pugh & Tiller has deep experience in healthcare communications—working with providers, health systems, specialty practices, and healthcare technology companies to strengthen reputation, elevate thought leadership, and reach key stakeholders.

We also help international companies establish and build brand awareness and visibility in the U.S. Our work in this area has included clients from Australia, Canada, Germany, Iceland, Israel, New Zealand, the U.K., and more.

RACEPOINT GLOBAL

Headquartered in Boston, MA 75 State Street, Suite 100 Boston, MA 02109 617/624-3200 hello@racepointglobal.com www.racepointglobal.com

Larry Weber, Founder and Chairman

Bill Davies, CEO

Phil Chadwick, Chief Financial Officer

Ben Haber, Executive Vice President, Client Services

Allison DeLeo, Senior Vice President, Client Services

Jen Filleti, Senior Vice President, Client Services

Stacey Forman, Senior Vice President, Agency Operations

Racepoint Global is an earnedfirst creative agency built on the belief that technology has the power to transform industries and change lives. From embedded tech and semiconductors to healthcare, agriculture, and generative AI, we thrive at the intersection of innovation and storytelling. For more than two decades, we have partnered with entrepreneurs and global leaders alike to craft breakthrough narratives, build credibility with media and influencers, and deliver measurable impact.

Founded by communications pioneer Larry Weber, Racepoint carries forward a relentless focus on using communications to amplify innovation for positive change. Our healthcare expertise spans digital health, biotech, and provider networks, helping clients navigate

complex ecosystems and engage audiences with clarity and trust. With a refreshed brand, expanded leadership, and award-winning campaigns, Racepoint is poised to continue setting the standard for what modern PR can achieve.

RAFFETTO HERMAN STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

601 Union St Ste 2404

Seattle, WA 98101

206/264-2400

1301 K St. NW., Ste. 220W Washington, D.C. 20005 202/379-0545

rhstrategic.com

Linkedin.com/companies/raffettoherman-strategic-communications Instagram.com/rh_strategic

John Raffetto, CEO

David Herman, President

Danielle Ruckert, VP, Healthcare Practice Lead

Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications (RH Strategic) was founded on the belief that tying great communications work to business objectives delivers transformative results. Our team brings the network and expertise to make your voice heard when and where it matters.

Healthcare is deeply personal, and the way it’s communicated can shape how it’s experienced. We partner with organizations across the healthcare ecosystem, from global leaders to Series A disruptors. Our clients include providers, insurers, health IT innovators, life sciences companies, medical devices, educators, advocates, and digital health platforms.

With award-winning strategies, deep sector expertise, and a commitment to precision, adaptability, and impact, RH Strategic turns innovation into influence—and ensures tomorrow is healthier than today.

REAL CHEMISTRY

www.realchemistry.com 199 Water St. 12th Floor New York, NY 10038 212/301-7200

With a Global Presence in: Boston | Carmel, IN | Chicago | Edinburgh | London | Manchester | Zurich |

Shankar Narayanan, CEO

Wendy Carhart, Chief Communications, Culture and Purpose Officer

Jennifer Gottlieb, Global President

Suzanne Jacobs, Group President, Medical Communications

Kevin Johnson, Group President & Managing Partner

Madeline Malia, Chief Client Officer

Frank Mazzola, Chief Creative Officer

Real Chemistry is an independent and trusted partner to the world’s most successful life sciences and healthcare companies.

Backed by a culture of innovation and creativity, Real Chemistry’s 2,000+ experts bring together deep scientific fluency, advanced technology and expert storytelling to solve complex challenges across the healthcare ecosystem. The company’s integrated capabilities span analytics and insights, advertising, activation, integrated communications, and medical communications—delivering data-driven strategies that solve complex business problems and help therapies reach and impact patients.

Real Chemistry delivers uncommon solutions to healthcare’s most persistent problems—an orchestration of moving from data to meaning, insight to impact and complex science to meaningful stories. It’s how the company helps life-changing innovations break through the noise, accelerate progress, and ultimately, make healthcare more human.

ROSICA

COMMUNICATIONS

2-14 Fair Lawn Ave. Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 pr@rosica.com www.rosica.com

Chris Rosica, CEO & President

Founded in 1980, Rosica Communications is a proven “leader in thought leadership.”

A strategic, integrated PR and digital marketing agency specializing in the healthcare, animal health, nonprofit, and health education, Rosica creates and executes award-winning PR and communications programs driven by our clients’ goals and strategic imperatives.

Rosica’s healthcare PR agency services include KOL programs, thought leadership development, positioning and messaging, earned media, crisis communications, corporate communications, publication planning, B2B social media, media/KOL training, content marketing, online reputation management, and advisory board formation.

Rosica offers such digital marketing services as SEO, online reputation management, and SEM (paid search and social). This enables us to effectively measure the impact of our clients’ PR and comms. programs. One key metric we monitor is the number of inbound links our work generates that markedly impacts SEO.

Primary Agency Differentiators:

• A hands-on senior leadership team that serves our clients daily, with an average tenure of more than 15 years at the firm.

• Creators of the PR industry’s most dynamic and comprehensive thought leadership measurement platform, the Thought Leadership Measurement MatrixTM. An unparalleled indicator of thought leadership performance, the Thought Leadership MatrixTM is a series of weighted measures and algorithms that considers 20 metrics and activities that reflect on an organization’s influence and that of its executives.

• Our ability to strategically repurpose and leverage earned media and other PR content to impact SEO, stakeholder communications, fundraising, advocacy, sales, reputation management, government relations, and partnership development.

Rosica’s healthcare communications team quickly assimilates to our clients’ needs, handily tackling complex and technical subjects and creating authentic positioning and key messaging, vital communications differentiators, stakeholder engagement strategies, and consistent, high-quality earned media results.

Clients, past and present, include Easterseals, Exergen, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, NJ Sharing Network, Parker Laboratories, Pfizer, Suveto, PDI Healthcare, Dynarex, Moore Medical/Mckesson, ENT & Allergy Associates, Health Monitor Network, National Vision Administrators, and other mission-driven healthcare partners.

Please visit www.rosica.com for case studies and additional information.

RUDER FINN

425 E 53rd Street

New York, NY 10022

212/593-6400

info@ruderfinn.com

RuderFinn.com

LinkedIn.com/company/ruder-finn Instagram.com/ruderfinn/?hl=en Tiktok.com/@ruderfinn Facebook.com/ruderfinn

Kathy Bloomgarden, Chief Executive Officer

Peggy Walsh, Chief Operating Officer

Michael Schubert, Chief Innovation Officer

Ian Glover, Chief Financial Officer

Tejas Totade, Chief Technology Officer and Head of RF TechLab

Christie Anbar, Head of Healthcare

Chris Montemurro, EVP, Healthcare

Leah Peyton, Co-Head of Healthcare, Ruder Finn UK

Sarah Brennan, Co-Head of Healthcare, Ruder Finn UK

Kate Hardin, EVP, Corporate Healthcare

Monica Marshall, Head of D.C and RF Relate, Crisis and Social Impact

Maryam Ayromlou, Managing Director, Corporate Reputation & Media

Eric Petersen, EVP, Digital Tera Miller, MD, Creative Planning John Nolan, EVP, Brand Marketing Lauren Sugarman, EVP, Strategic Planning

At Ruder Finn, we partner with forward-thinking healthcare companies—from leading biopharmas to next-generation health techs—to transform how clinicians, patients, and brands connect. Today, AI and large language models are shaping a new era of precision and presence in healthcare communication:

• Helping clinicians better understand the patient experience

• Empowering patients to take ownership of their health

• Enabling brands to connect and personalize at scale

By harnessing AI to identify, listen to, and activate voices that resonate across the healthcare ecosystem, we map patient journeys to meet people where they are, create compelling content that turns data into meaning, and build communities that inspire action. From elevating awareness of health conditions to shaping how brands show up in the world, our work makes

complex science accessible and human health personal.

SPARK PUBLIC RELATIONS

548 Market St., Suite #44541 San Francisco, CA 94105 775/813-0285 chris.hempel@sparkpr.com donna.burke@sparkpr.com sparkpr.com

Donna Burke, Chris Hempel, CoFounders Ellen Edelman, Amy Packard Berry, Executive Vice Presidents Cameron McPherson, Chief Financial and Operating Officer

Celebrating 25 years of excellence, Sparkpr is a leading global communications agency with deep expertise in healthcare, biotech, and technology. Co-founder Chris

Hempel, a rare disease advocate who helped develop a compassionate use FDA-approved drug, brings unmatched insight to our healthcare practice. Our team leverages this perspective to navigate complex medical landscapes, craft compelling narratives, and deliver results that matter. With 50+ professionals across major U.S. hubs, Sparkpr provides integrated PR, digital marketing, social media, and content strategies for clients ranging from disruptive biotech startups to Fortune 1000 leaders. Recognized by Newsweek and Forbes among America’s Best PR Agencies, Sparkpr is the trusted partner for innovators driving change in healthcare and beyond.

STANTON

909 Third Avenue New York, NY 10022 212/366-5300 www.stantonprm.com

Tom Faust, Charlyn Lusk, Managing Directors Liam Collopy, Matthew Conroy, Joshua Greenwald, Scott Lessne, Katrin Lieberwirth, SVPs

Stanton is a strategic communications partner to global enterprises, mid-size leaders and entrepreneurial businesses in sectors including financial services/insurance, healthcare, professional services, and technology. Within healthcare and life sciences, we work with a wide variety of organizations, from providers and management organizations to services and insurance, treatments, technologies and

devices. Growing healthcare organizations turn to Stanton because we excel at helping healthcare innovators grow by raising company profiles, building reputations and capturing mindshare.

With teams in New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, Stanton supports clients through strategy, media relations, content development and marketing, design, executive visibility, thought leadership, crisis management, analyst relations, social media and more.

Our healthcare clients & experience includes: AavantiBio, Autism Learning Partners, Beacon Health Options, Cereval, Summit Health/ CityMD, Clear Choice, CRC Health, EDAP, Essenlix, Fullscript, Health Advocate, John MuirHealth, JDRF, LeanTaaS, Lighthouse Guild, MarinHealth, National Hemophilia Foundation, Northwell Health, Paige, PCI Pharma, Simplura Health Group, Surgery Partners, Wellbridge and Zelis.

THE SWAY EFFECT

Chrysler Building 405 Lexington Ave., Floor 8 New York, NY 10174 inquiries@theswayeffect.com theswayeffect.com

Jennifer Risi, Founder and President

The Sway Effect is an award-winning global network of independent marketing and communications agencies focused on driving reputation while putting diversity, inclusion, and equity at the center

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THE SWAY EFFECT

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of everything they do. In 2019, The Sway Effect’s Founder Jennifer Risi set out to change how the industry works by establishing a new kind of model—one that breaks down barriers and assembles the best and brightest talent in the industry to answer a brand’s challenge. Our team has deep PR expertise and specializes in corporate communications, global media relations, investor relations and issues management. Notably, within the healthcare space, our team supports BD [Becton Dickinson and Company].

The agency has been awarded the below and more:

• PRNews 2023 Women Owned Agency of the Year

• PRovoke Media 2024 North American Boutique Agency of the Year

• PRovoke Media 2024 North American Capital Markets Campaign of the Year

• PRovoke Media 2024 North American Diamond Award Winner —Superior Achievement in Reputation Management

• PRNews 2024 Agency Elite Top 100

• PRovoke Media 80 Top Agencies in the U.S. 2025

• PRDaily’s Top Agencies 2024 and 2025

• PRNews Agency Elite Top 120 in 2025 and 2026

TIER ONE PARTNERS

129 South Street Boston, MA 02111

617/918-7060

209 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60606 708/421-0083 www.tieronepr.com

Marian Hughes, Co-Founder, Managing Partner, Chicago

Kathy Wilson, Co-Founder, Managing Partner, Boston

Tier One Partners is an award-winning integrated marketing agency. We offer a comprehensive range of PR, content, and digital marketing services to propel B2B and B2C companies in healthcare, financial services and fintech, AI and other disruptive technologies, and energy tech into category leadership.

Recognizing that modern organizations require marketing partners that offer a variety of services, we’ve strategically built our agency around complementary practice areas. This integrated approach ensures all aspects of a client’s marketing strategy work in harmony, positioning us as a valuable, longterm partner for brands seeking sector leadership.

Our Communications services help elevate and protect brand awareness and include earned media, executive thought leadership, corporate and product launches, customer success programs, industry analyst relations, media training, crisis communications, and more.

Our Content Studio serves as a one-stop shop for content and digital marketing needs. Our talented team comprises copywriters, editors, digital marketers, and graphic and UX/UI designers who collaborate to help clients think and act like powerhouse publishers.

During SEC Media Days, Trevelino/Keller secures an appearance on the Paul Finebaum show for The Inactive Company Co-Founders, Lori Oliver and Jill MacRae, highlighting the importance of quality rest in pursuit of peak college athletic performance. Paul tried on The Inactive Company’s Inactivators sleep mask during the 10-minute interview. Jill and Lori were interviewed immediately before SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on the last day of SEC Media Days, leading to maximum visibility and increased product demand.

Our differentiator is keeping our clients one step ahead. Our Agile Insights & Analytics practice uses proprietary AI-driven methodologies and advanced listening tools to predict emerging business and cultural trends. Armed with these insights, we help clients cut through noise, connect dots, and share meaningful viewpoints through strategic media relations, thought leadership, and marketing campaigns that resonate with target audiences.

Co-headquartered in Boston and Chicago, we’re a certified women-owned business. We’ve successfully built awareness and category leadership for healthcare leaders including GHX, Reveleer, Omada, Level Ex, Medisafe, Hospital IQ, GI Supply, Ventricle Health, and many others.

TOGORUN

New York, NY

646/651-4001

g.janata@togorun.com www.togorun.com Facebook.com/togorun Instagram.com/togorun Linkedin.com/company/togorun

Gloria “Glo” M. Janata, JD, Chief Strategic Officer, President, CEO & Owner

Dr. David Canty, Chief Scientific Officer & Medical Writer

Sheetal Davitt, Chief Digital Marketing Officer, COO & Partner

Jason Farrell, Creative Director,

Chief Quality Officer & Partner

Joe Gorelick, Chief Creative and AI Transformation Officer & Partner

Suzanne Haber, Chief Integrated Communications and Global Media Officer

Yolanda Aguilar, Chief People Officer, Global Finance Manager & Partner

TogoRun is a woman-owned, award-winning, full-service strategic communications, marketing, and public affairs agency focused on global health and well-being and telling the untold story. Inspired by the 1925 hero sled dog Togo, TogoRun works in partnership with clients committed to advancing innovative solutions that save and improve lives, close health disparity gaps, support a healthier planet, and embrace a vision of equitable abundance.

Headquartered in New York, with seasoned teams in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and virtually everywhere via a network of global partners, TogoRun specializes in integrated marketing and communications, branding and positioning, advocacy and government affairs, issues and crisis management, and corporate communications. Areas of expertise include pharma/biotech, life sciences, health information technology, medical devices, health insurance, hospital, non-profits/associations, medical aesthetics, consumer packaged goods, and beauty.

TogoRun is part of the GMJ Global network of companies and a proud signatory of the UN Global Compact. The TogoRun Team has collectively been responsible for more than 240 industry awards, including 6 prestigious Inc. awards: 2025 & 2023 Inc. Best Workplaces, 2024 Inc. Best in Business in Public Relations & General Excellence, 2023 Inc. Best in Business in Public Relations, and 2022 Inc. Best in Business in Marketing, and donates at least 11% of time each year in pro bono services to non-profits that share our values.

For more information, contact g.janata@togorun.com, visit www. togorun.com, and follow us on Facebook (Facebook.com/togorun), Instagram (Instagram.com/ togorun), and LinkedIn (Linkedin. com/company/togorun).

TREVELINO/KELLER

1042 Northside Drive, Suite 960 Atlanta, GA 30318

404/214-0722 X106 and X105 dtrevelino@trevelinokeller.com gkeller@trevelinokeller.com www.trevelinokeller.com

Dean Trevelino, Founder & CoCEO Genna Keller, Founder & Co-CEO

Ranked #2 in Healthcare in Atlanta, #4 in the Southeast, Trevelino/Keller has been experiencing a movement back to its balance of healthcare, health-tech and wellness. For more than 20 years, it has developed a base of diverse experience with emerging and established brands in biotech, government healthcare, health IT, telehealth, wellness, fitness, supplements and plant-based foods.

Its CDC work was notable during outbreaks including Ebola, Zika and other health crises and of course, it was sought after for COVID-19 communications at the state and county level throughout Georgia.

Its long-standing relationship with insurance leader United Healthcare is a testament to its media relations capabilities throughout the region. Beyond healthcare, the firm has always been sought after for its depth and creativity in the wellness space, from its success with scaling Stretch Zone, work with MOSSA, and Pritikin Longevity Center to its current work with emerging brands like Dr. Noze Best and sleep performance company, InactiveCo who recently appeared on the Paul Finebaum Show during SEC Media Days given the company’s focus on athletes and the importance of sleep and performance.

A recent national campaign by V2 Communications for InStride Health, a pediatric anxiety treatment provider, resulted in a “Good Morning America” segment on August 28, 2025, on how to help families manage back-toschool anxiety. Shown (left to right) Mona Potter, M.D., Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, InStride Health, and ABC’s Rachel Scott, Deborah Roberts, Will Reeve and Sam Champion.

Heading into 2026, the agency forecasts increased demand for its integrated services, particularly among middle market companies who understand the advantages of a single source solution—public relations, growth marketing and creative services. Its other market segments include technology, financial services, franchising, manufacturing, energy, transportation & logistics, environment and lifestyle. Additionally, the agency continues to showcase the industry’s leading talent retention, having lost two people to agencies in 22 years. For more information, visit trevelinokeller.com.

V2

COMMUNICATIONS

500 Harrison Ave., Suite 401R Boston, MA 02118

617/426-2222

Info@v2comms.com www.v2comms.com LinkedIn: @v2comms X: @v2comms

Jean Serra, CEO and Founder

Katelyn Holbrook, Chief Client Officer

Jen Plimpton, Chief Operating Officer

Shannon Murphy, Exec. VP, Healthcare Lead

Melissa Mahoney, Exec. VP, Crisis, Corporate Comms and Climate Tech Lead

Kristen Leathers, Exec. VP, B2B Tech Lead

V2 Communications is an inte-

grated communications firm with deep expertise at the intersection of healthcare and technology. The agency partners with organizations ranging from emerging growth companies to publicly traded leaders that are transforming how care is diagnosed, delivered, coordinated and paid for. V2’s healthcare practice spans multiple sectors such as behavioral health, care coordination, digital diagnostics and health IT, where the team designs and executes tailored PR and communications strategies that break through media noise, elevate brand awareness and build credibility with the audiences that matter most.

V2 has a proven track record of securing influential media coverage, creating compelling narratives and positioning healthcare innovators as trusted authorities. The firm’s client portfolio includes Ascend Learning, Best Buy Health, CarePort (acquired by WellSky), Cedar Gate Technologies, Health Gorilla, Neura Health, Nuance (acquired by Microsoft) and Veeva Systems. A recent national campaign supported InStride Health, a pediatric anxiety and OCD treatment provider, in amplifying its mission to help families manage back-to-school anxiety, resulting in a featured segment on “Good Morning America.” Through strategic counsel, creative storytelling and integrated execution, V2 helps healthcare brands shape conversations, influence policy and prac-

tice, and achieve measurable business success.

WATERHOUSE BRANDS

300 Drakes Landing Rd. Suite 170B Greenbrae, CA 94904

www.waterhousebrands.com

kkraemer@waterhousebrands.com

Kim Kraemer, Founder, CEO & Chief Brand Strategist

David Mickle, Chief Client Officer

Terri Clevenger, Head of Integrated Communications

Paula Gitis, Group Director

Waterhouse Brands, LLC is a brand reputation agency dedicated to helping life sciences companies create Reputational Pull™ among investors, talent and industry partners. Using its time-tested ALIGN Methodology™ as a tool to articulate competitive advantage, Waterhouse fuses strategy with creative brand activations and communications programs across the full ecosystem of market awareness. Since its inception, Waterhouse has built brands and helped scale culture for some of the fastest growing companies in the industry, proving the power of authentic positioning to en-gage stakeholders and drive enterprise value. Waterhouse was founded in 2017 by Kimberly Kraemer, a 2025 Ragan Communications Top Women in Communications Honoree. 

Pearlstein, the ‘king of culinary PR,’ dies at 104

Leo Pearlstein, the “king of culinary PR,” died on Sept. 10 in Los Angeles at the age of 104.

Born in Paterson, NJ, Pearlstein moved to LA with his family in 1936 and worked in his parents’ grocery store.

After serving in the Air Force’s psychological research unit during WWII, he opened Lee & Associates Public Relations and Advertising.

The shop specialized in the food and beverage business and represented more than 40 agricultural advisory boards including figs, prunes, almonds and apples. Its brand name clients included Frito-Lay, Rold Gold Pretzels, Mrs. Cubbison, Suntory Whiskey and Del Monte Foods.

Pearlstein cultivated his Hollywood connections, signing up Groucho Marx to pitch figs, Jayne Mansfield (turkeys) and Abbott & Costello (eggs).

He wrote several books about his PR life, including “Celebrity Stew: Food Publicity Pioneer Shares 50 Years of Entertaining Inside Stories of Hollywood Royalty,” and “Adventures in PR.”

As Pearlstein turned 103, the Public Relations Society of America awarded him with a lifetime achievement award. 

Financial PR pro Metz dies

Tim Metz, who joined Hill & Knowlton in 1989 after a 23-year career at the Wall Street Journal died Aug. 15. He was 86.

Metz exited the paper after he published “Black Monday: The Catastrophe of October 19, 1987 ... and Beyond.”

WPP COO Scott to step down

Andrew Scott, COO of WPP, plans to retire at the end of year after a 27-year run at the communications giant.

In the interim, he will serve as a Senior Advisor to CEO Cindy Rose, who replaces Mark Read on Sept. 1.

Scott joined WPP as Director of Corporate Development and served as COO for Europe before taking Global COO duties in 2018. He was appointed to the board in 2023.

Scott led WPP’s M&A activities and helped position it in AI, data and technology sectors. Most recently, he handled “strategic disposals,” such as the sale of a 60 percent stake in Kantar to Bain Capital, and the divestiture of FGS Global to KKR. 

Ryan to step down as ICR CEO

Tom Ryan, CEO of ICR, announced that he plans to step down from the Chief Executive role.

Ryan, who co-founded the New York-based agency in 1998, will now transition into the role of Executive Chairman.

He joined Susan Hullin in 2001 to form Hullin & Metz, a strategic advisory, media relations, financial PR and crisis shop. He launched the Metz Group in 2011.

He served on the board of advisors of the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship Program at Columbia Journalism School, and on the board of directors of the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens. 

The agency is now formally beginning the search for its next CEO, with global executive search and leadership consulting firm Spencer Stuart charged with leading the process.

Ryan will remain in the CEO position until a successor is named. 

Vice Media names Spence CCO

Vice Media Group has brought on Emily Spence as CCO.

Spencer was most recently Founder and CEO of Spence Collective, a consultancy that worked with entertainment clients. She was previously CCO at diversified global entertainment company MRC, where she oversaw the development and execution

of communications strategies for the company and its portfolio of businesses, which include Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter and Dick Clark Productions.

Spence will lead Vice’s corporate and executive communications, internal communications, media relations, brand and marketing communications, in addition to serving as the company’s official spokesperson. 

Edelman alum Cook joins DGA Group

DGA Group has brought on Kevin Cook, who was most recently President of Edelman’s Chicago office, as a Senior Advisor. At Edelman, he served as Senior Lead for Client Strategy Development as well as global team and program integration, and senior management and C-suite counsel.

At DGA, Cook will deliver counsel aimed at helping clients navigate complexity, safeguard reputation, and achieve long-term success. 

XPO’s Abrahams takes Brunswick Group post

Brunswick Group has hired PR veteran Michael Abrahams as a Partner in its New York office.

He joins the global advisory from $8 billion XPO freight transportation company.

Abrahams was Chief Communications Officer at XPO, which has 38,000 employees in North America and Europe. Prior to XPO, Abrahams was a Partner at FGS Global & co-Head of its employee and transformation communications unit. Before the creation of FGS, Abrahams did a two-year stint at its Sard Verbinnen unit and a nearly 21year run at Finsbury.

He began a communications career at National Public Radio. 

When lawyers ‘manage’ reputation

By Fraser Seitel

Jeffrey Epstein was a bad hombre.

The late financier and child sex offender was also a friend and advisor to the rich and famous, and he artfully used those contacts to further his own fabulous fortune.

Fraser P. Seitel has been a communications consultant, author and teacher for more than 30 years. He is the author of the Prentice-Hall text, The Practice of Public Relations.

Ever since his death by jail-cell suicide in 2019, Epstein’s secret life as procurer and pedophile has been exposed, and his fortune has been largely ladled out to his many underage victims. Lately, politicians and the media have pressured the Trump administration to release the Epstein government files and reveal the privileged individuals who enabled him.

A few weeks ago, New York Times business reporter Matt Goldstein wrote a brilliant exposé on one of those enablers, a man named Jes Staley, who served as Epstein’s private banker and bosom buddy at JPMorgan for many years. The Times’ story also laid bare JPMorgan’s culpability in perpetuating the convicted sex offender’s illicit actions.

What the piece also demonstrated was how dangerous it is to appoint lawyers, rather than public relations professionals, to preside over an organization’s reputation.

In JPMorgan’s case, according to the Times, after Epstein was convicted in Florida in 2008 of procuring a child for prostitution, the bank’s top compliance officer suggested he be terminated as a client. Epstein BFF Staley objected to this and asked the bank’s top lawyer to sit down with his longterm client and make a judgment.

The lawyer, Stephen Cutler, was a Yale Law School graduate with experience at top white-shoe law firms and a stint at the Securities and Exchange Commission. In other words, he was the bluest of blue blood among the bank’s general counsels.

Cutler listened as the smooth-talking Epstein pled his case and, after pondering for weeks, the lawyer told Staley he had concluded that the bank should, indeed, cut ties with the financier. He reasoned—cor-

rectly—that retaining Epstein, a Level 3 sex offender, as a client would not only send a terrible signal to JPMorgan’s female colleagues but also threaten the institution’s reputation.

Staley, a rising star and leading candidate to become Morgan CEO, adamantly disagreed with the lawyer. He argued that it would be a mistake to part ways with Epstein, especially in light of his network of high-level contacts and his $300 million in JPMorgan deposits. It was then, according to the Times, that the lawyer folded.

In the face of his colleague’s insistence, the lawyer rationalized that, as potentially damaging as Epstein was as a client, he wasn’t using his accounts for criminal purposes and therefore had not broken the law. And his own primary responsibility, Cutler reasoned, was to protect JPMorgan from legal—not reputational—risks.

So, he changed his mind and decided that as long as Staley monitored him, Epstein could stay a client. Not only that, but Cutler also decided not to escalate the matter to the bank’s CEO Jamie Dimon.

Both decisions by its chief attorney turned out to be catastrophic for JPMorgan.

In 2019, Epstein was arrested and jailed on new charges related to alleged sex crimes, and the story escalated from there. JPMorgan was among those institutions mentioned prominently as Epstein enablers.

In response, JPMorgan Chief Commu-

nications Officer Joe Evangelisti acknowledged the bank’s relationship with Epstein “was a mistake” and added that JPMorgan “would never have continued to do business with him if we believed he was engaged in an ongoing sex trafficking operation.”

The bank pinned the blame on its former account officer Staley and agreed to pay $290 million to settle with women who accused Epstein of abusing them and another $75 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein had an estate.

It’s unclear what role, if any, the bank’s public relations department played in the Epstein fiasco.

What the bank should have done, of course, was to assign management of the Epstein dilemma to its public relations professionals. Evangelisti is among the public relations industry’s most experienced, trusted and competent communications advisors. And Dimon is one of the world’s smartest and most respected business leaders.

It’s hard to believe that both of these men, had they been confronted early on with the facts of the Epstein relationship, wouldn’t have immediately decided to throw the convicted sex offender out of the bank. They would have understood that the institution’s reputation was far more important than the clout or the connections of any one client. And they would have realized that perpetuating a relationship with such a questionable individual simply wasn’t worth the risk, regardless of whether or not he was breaking the law. 

JCIR works Nexstar’s $6B Tegna deal

By Kevin McCauley

JCIR handles Nexstar Media Group as it plans a $6.2 billion merger with Tenga to create a local TV broadcast powerhouse with 265 stations in 44 states reaching 80 percent of U.S. households.

The $22 per share offer represents a 31 percent premium to Tegna’s 30-day closing price ending Aug. 8.

Nexstar CEO Perry Sook cited President Trump’s plan to deregulate the local broadcast sector as the driving force behind the deal.

“The initiatives being pursued by the Trump administration offer local broadcasters the opportunity to expand reach, level the playing field, and compete more effectively with the Big Tech and legacy Big Media companies that have unchecked reach and vast financial resourc-

es,” he said.

Nexstar contends the merged company will be better able to serve communities by ensuring the long-term vitality of local news and programming from trusted local sources and preserving the diversity of local voice and opinion.

Mike Steib, Tegna Chief, said joining with Nexstar “will expand news coverage to serve more communities, across more screens, and ultimately secure the future of local news for generations to come.”

The Wall Street Journal reports the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which on Aug. 11 announced a strategic review of its operations, plans to offer a deal for Tegna.

JCIR Founder/President Joe Jaffoni and Managing Director Jennifer Newman represent Nexstar. 

Scientific snobbery and other acts of institutional malpractice

Arthur Caplan’s important new EMBO Reports essay, “How stupid has science been?” serves as a powerful reminder that for decades, much of the scientific community viewed public communication as a career liability—the Sagan Effect, because many regarded the famed astronomer with disdain for trying to explain science in simple, relatable terms.

Paul Oestreicher, PhD, is a trusted advisor and mentor known for strategic communications, thought leadership development, crisis and reputation management and third-party relationship building. He is the author of “Camelot, Inc.: Leadership and Management Insights from King Arthur and the Round Table.”

That cultural snobbery mattered. It left many citizens unprepared to evaluate claims and ceded ground over to the ill-informed, propagandists and those seeking to manipulate others. Snobbery created a vacuum, but if we only focus on scientists’ failures, we’ll miss the larger structural forces now fueling mistrust and politicization—forces that must be addressed directly if we want science (and our health and global competitiveness) to recover.

Start with the partisan divide in trust. Pew Research Center finds confidence in scientists remains higher among Democrats than Republicans and the gap widened during and after the pandemic. The pattern shows that party identity influences whether evidence is trusted—regardless of facts or how skillfully scientists explain it.

It’s worth remembering that science wasn’t always a partisan issue. America’s main science agencies were created through mid-century consensus, not by culture-war reactions. The CDC began in 1946 as a malaria-control effort that evolved into the foundation of the nation’s public health system; the NSF was established in 1950 when President Truman created it for “research driven by curiosity and discovery”; the NIH’s history dates back to the 1887 Hygienic Laboratory.

But now, active political interventions have been layered onto the federal science

apparatus. Recently, the White House fired CDC Director Susan Monarez weeks after she took office, prompting senior resignations and raising alarms about political control of public health decisions. The administration also proposed slashing NIH’s budget by roughly 40 percent (about $18 billion). Even if Congress moderates these proposals, they signal that federal science has become a partisan battleground.

Performancew and integrity are vital for building trust. Americans remember serious ethical and governance failures—like the inhumanity of the Tuskegee syphilis study and the retracted, heavily debunked Wakefield paper linking vaccines to autism—because they shattered the expectation that science self-corrects quickly and transparently. Finally, our news and information ecosystem supercharges falsehoods. A study of millions of tweets published in Science showed that false news spreads “farther, faster, deeper” than truth—mainly because people share novelty and outrage, and platforms amplify it. That’s a systemic issue; clearer language from scientists helps but can’t, on its own, beat virality.

The trust dividend is pragmatic, not poetic. When evidence prevails, patients receive faster diagnoses and fewer risky detours; businesses scale sooner because regulators trust transparent methods; schools update curricula without culture-war spectacles; and cities act on air and water data before crises metastasize. That’s why the antidote to politicized science isn’t just speeches but a system: clear standards, timely corrections and public dashboards showing how evidence guides decisions. Consistently doing this doesn’t just reduce tension—it boosts the nation’s ability to solve problems. Communication matters, yes, but performance plus transparency are what turn skeptics into stakeholders.

Certainly, talented public communicators like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Brian Cox, Michio Kaku, Hank Green and Jessica Knurick, along with training hubs like Stony Brook University’s Alan Alda Center, have entered the scene. Helpful, but far from enough. These efforts must multiply a thousand, even a million times, reaching every part of the country. So, yes: some snobbery initially created a vacuum. But now, polarization, policy shocks, long-term under-investment, governance failures and algorithmic virality cause most of the damage. It’s a monumen-

tal problem, and we can’t wait for Congress to take meaningful action.

Scientists: make communication a core, even mandatory, part of your role, not just a side activity. Back in 2006, I urged scientists and doctors in Nature Biotech to make science more understandable and accessible to the public. It’s not about dumbing things down; it’s about making them simple and relevant. If your research is funded by the public, explaining and justifying it is a service. Include a clear, plain-language summary on every paper and preprint; hold regular public Q&A sessions with schools, libraries and faith groups; and include communication achievements in promotion and tenure dossiers.

Media: stop presenting “both sides” equally; emphasize the strength of evidence. False equivalence turns well-established science into a debate show. Use proportional balance: give more coverage to claims supported by strong evidence and less to fringe assertions unless the story specifically addresses misinformation. As I’ve argued elsewhere in “False Equivalencies: The Danger of Treating All Information Equally,” giving equal time to unequal sides misleads intentionally.

Schools: focus on teaching how to think rather than just memorizing facts. We don’t need every student to become a scientist, but every citizen should be able to recognize evidence, uncertainty and tradeoffs. Make the scientific method a regular part of education from middle school onward, pairing it with statistics, probabilistic reasoning and media/digital literacy. Balance STEM with the humanities so students can grasp ethics, history and policy contexts.

Politicians: be the local leaders science needs. Establish a standing science advisory group in your office composed of accomplished professionals from nearby universities and health systems. Hold regular evidence briefings on issues important to your constituents (e.g., climate change, mental health, vaccine guidance, opioids, air, water and soil safety). When guidance shifts, announce it openly and explain why. Leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about showing your process.

The current politicization is—hopefully—temporary, not unavoidable. We can reverse it, but only if we address and invest in all the root causes—not just the easiest or least controversial ones. We must be brave and determined before we become sicker, poorer and even more vulnerable. 

Nvidia lobbies up

Nvidia has hired Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for D.C. representation concerning international semiconductor trade and matters regarding artificial intelligence.

The move follows the deal that Nvidia CEO Jason Huang ironed out with the Trump administration that gives the U.S. a 15 percent cut of the company’s chip sales to China.

That arrangement paved the way for White House approval of the sale of Nvidia’s H20 chip to China.

The Financial Times reported Aug. 21 that the deal is under pressure as Chinese regulators are dissuading domestic tech companies from buying Nvidia’s H20 chip following “insulting” remarks Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made on CNBC.

“We don’t sell them our best stuff, not our second-best stuff, not even our third best,” he said on July 15. “You want to sell the Chinese enough that their developers get addicted to the American technology stack, that’s the thinking,”

AMD agreed to the same 15 percent cut for M1308 chip.

Former California Republican Congress Ed Royce, who chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee, leads Brownstein’s 10-person Nvidia lobbying team.

Nadeam Elshami, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Chief of Staff; Alice Lugo, Chief Counsel to Jersey Senator Bob Menendez; and Brandt Anderson, National Security Advisor to Indiana Senator Todd Young; also work the account.

Also joining Nvidia’s lobbying payroll is BGR Government Affairs, which has been hired to provide strategic counsel regarding international trade in the semiconductor and artificial intelligence.

BGR is the firm of Haley Barbour, former Republican National Committee Chair and Mississippi Governor. President Erskine Wells, one-time Aide to Mississippi Congressman and Senator Roger Wicker, heads the BGR team that includes Dan Greenwood, Defense & Critical Technologies Practice Head; and Justin Rzepka, Commerce & Infrastructure Head. 

Grindr goes with Brownstein

Grindr, the West Hollywood gay dating and social network app, has signed on Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for D.C. representation.

Brownstein will focus on areas such as HIV prevention, family formation, artificial intelligence and age-verification for online users.

It will also deal with matters regarding the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which was authorized in 2023 and credited with saving 26 million lives. The Trump administration is withholding $6 billion in Congressionally approved funding for PEPFAR for fiscal 2025.

Grindr recorded $104 million in Q2 revenues (+27 percent) and $16.6 million net income (+22 percent).

Will Moschella, co-Chair of Brownstein’s government relations unit, heads the five-member Grindr team. 

Lockheed Martin names Holliday PA chief

Lockheed Martin hires Stuart Holliday as SVP and Chief Public Affairs Officer, a newly created role, effective Sept. 29. Holliday comes to the company from the CEO post at Meridian International Center, an institution that advances American di-

plomacy, economic competitiveness and geopolitical resilience.

Holliday previously held several positions at the U.S. State Department during the George W. Bush administration and was Director of the International Practice at QGA Public Affairs. At Lockheed Martin, he will oversee communications and government affairs strategies and activities in full coordination with the company’s international operations. 

GOP vet Dowling takes Avoq post

Valerie Dowling, a nearly 10-year veteran of the International Republican Institute, has joined Avoq as Senior VP.

The IRI is a non-profit that works to advance freedom and democracy worldwide. It’s board is dominated by members of the Republican Party.

Dowling served as the IRI’s Director of Private Sector Engagement, where she launched the business leadership council that generated more than $1 million in funding in 2024.

She also served as Director of the women’s democracy network, an initiative designed to promote women’s political leadership and civic participation.

Before the IRI, Dowling was the Director of Women’s Engagement for the Republican National Committee from 2013 to 2016, and a staffer in George W. Bush’s White House. 

Philhour travels to Mercury

Mercury Public Affairs has hired Marjan Philhour as Managing Director and head of its new San Francisco office. She has more than three decades of strategic communications, political PR and advocacy experience.

Philhour served as Senior Advisor to former SF mayor London Breed, Senior Counselor to the Chief of Staff of ex-California Governor Gray Davis, and Executive Director of the SF Community Alliance for Jobs and Housing. She also worked on the presidential campaigns of John Kerry and Barack Obama.

Most recently, Philhour was running her own strategic advisory focused on brand positioning, communications planning and stakeholder engagement.

Omnicom owns Mercury. 

Targeted Victory works Israel tourism

Targeted Victory is handling consulting services regarding media relations and communications services for Israel’s Ministry of Tourism. Since Aug. 29, it has served as a subcontractor to Havas Media Group USA on the Israeli push. TV’s subcontractor agreement has not yet been finalized.

A part of Mark Penn’s Stagwell Group, TV calls itself the digital-first agency for cutting edge campaigns and communications. Executive VP Matt Gorman heads the five-member media relations team. He’s a former Communications Director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, and veteran of the presidential campaigns of Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush and Tim Scott. VP Rebecca Heisler, a 12-year TV vet and former social media and content director for Romney for President, and Breakpoint Media founder Jerrod Dobkin, one-time Press Secretary for GOP Colorado Senator Cory Gardner, also work on the Israel outreach. 

Brazil taps Ballard Partners for D.C. support

Ballard Partners has lined up the National Industry Confederation, which is the main representative of Brazil’s industrial sector, as a client for trade, tariff and Section 301 of the Trade Act matters.

The Confederation’s mission is “to defend and represent the industry in the promotion of a favorable environment for business, competitiveness and sustainable development in Brazil.”

The U.S. Trade Representative in July announced a probe into whether Brazil’s policies on digital trade and electronic payment services hurt American social media companies.

FARA News

President Trump also slapped a 50 percent tariff on most Brazilian imports because of its “witch-hunt” against his buddy and rightwing ex-President Jair Bolsonaro. He wants Bolsonaro’s supreme court trial squashed.

Brazil’s Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Aug. 18 that the country has reached an impasse with the U.S. on resolving the tariff issue. “The U.S. is trying to impose on Brazil a solution which is constitutionally impossible,” he told an FT-CNBC conference in São Paulo.

Brian Ballard, who was a top Trump fundraiser, handles the D.C. push for Brazil.

He’s joined by Partner Hunter Morgen, who served in the first Trump administration as a Deputy to Peter Navarro and Stephen Miller on trade and immigration matters. 

Scribe Strategies picks up Morocco

Scribe Strategies & Advisors has agreed to provide strategic consulting and government affairs services to the Kingdom of Morocco.

The six-month contract calls for Scribe to receive a $75,000 monthly retainer for the first three months with subsequent months billed at $60,000.

The pact, which went into effect July 28, automatically renews for successive six-month periods.

Headed by Republican strategist Joseph Szlavik, Scribe is to strengthen Morocco/U.S. relations, especially in the areas of investment and trade.

It also will support U.S. recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, a former Spanish territory annexed by Morocco in 1975; and address the regional security challenges posed by the Polisario Front, which wants to expel Morocco from Western Sahara. Morocco is the latest to join Scribe’s portfolio of African clients, which includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Cote d’Ivoire. 

NEW FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT FILINGS

Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Registration Unit, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, regarding their consulting and communications work on behalf of foreign principals, including governments, political parties, organizations, and individuals. For a complete list of filings, visit www.fara.gov.

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, Denver, Colo., registered Sept. 4, 2025 for Global AI Corporation, New York, N.Y., concerning assisting Global AI with engagement with the U.S. government in regard to addressing ongoing concerns about democratic processes, rule of law, human rights violations, and corruption and ensuring free, fair, and inclusive election in Bangladesh.

Checkmate Government Relations LLC, Winston-Salem, N.C., registered Sept. 15, 2025 for Republic of Panama, Panama City, Panama, concerning providing government relations services by engaging and facilitating communications with U.S. officials and decision makers, non-government organizations, and other individuals within the U.S.

Francis Marland Lee, Austin, Texas, registered Aug. 22, 2025 for Confucian Co., Ltd., Taipei City, Taiwan, regarding assisting the principal in establishing a relationship with the new U.S. Administration.

Lobbying News

NEW LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT FILINGS

Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Office of Public Records, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Legislative Resource Center, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. For a complete list of filings, visit www.senate.gov.

ACG Advocacy, Washington, D.C., registered Sept. 16, 2025 for Music IP Holdings, Inc., Charleston, SC, concerning copyright reform and AI policy.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Washington, D.C., registered Sept. 9, 2025 for Data Center Coalition, Leesburg, Va., regarding issues related to trade and supply chain policy.

Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc., Washington, D.C., registered Sept. 18, 2025 for The J.M. Smucker Company, Orrville, Ohio, concerning issues relating to tariffs, nutrition policy, Food and Drug Administration programs and more.

GrayRobinson PA, Tallahassee, Fla., registered Sept. 17, 2025 for The New York Foundling, New York, N.Y., concerning social services, federal funding, education, juvenile justice and community health.