Strategic Communications Planning
National Cancer Institute Office of the Director. PR Strategists developed the framework for NCI’s Strategic Communications Plan, leading group brainstorming sessions and drafting institutional messages, strategies and tactics.
Case In Point:
Strategic Communications Planning
FDA Center for Tobacco Products
Firm Footing for an Agency’s First Year of Business
When the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) was launched in 2009, its communications director engaged PR Strategists to develop a strategic communications framework to guide the office in its first 18 months. Working together, PR Strategists conducted one-on-one interviews with the CTP communications team, led a series of team brainstorming sessions to identify priority issues, and developed a situation analysis based on background research of the tobacco usage landscape. The result was a new mission statement, messages, audience segmentation and priority activities to focus staff efforts on keeping tobacco products out of the hands of young people during the Center’s inaugural year.
Case In Point:
Strategic Communications Planning
National Cancer Institute Office of Communications and Education
When Many Hands Are Involved in Planning – A Unified Approach
NCI’s communications staff routinely put out a high volume of communications strategies for everything from research results announcements to cancer prevention program launches. To enhance the rigor of communications plans and provide consistency among numerous staff members, PR Strategists worked with NCI to develop ComPASS, a step-by-step communications planning process for communications that included methodology for conducting background research, defining communications objectives and target audiences, and implementing and evaluating strategies and programs. The result was a uniform communications planning process that improved buy-in from all parties involved in communicating high priority scientific initiatives for the Institute.
Case In Point:
Strategic Communications Planning
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
When Your Recruitment Needs are Vast – A Consistent Brand
PR Strategists teamed with ENC Strategy to develop and implement a strategic outreach campaign for the nation’s largest hospital devoted entirely to clinical research. The integrated communications campaign was aimed at recruiting adults and children to clinical trials for a variety of disease areas. PR Strategists served as a subject matter expert, providing strategic counsel and insight on trial recruitment communications within the government arena and as strategic planner, producing messaging research and planning documents, communication outreach plans, creative briefs, fact sheets, website text, and social media strategies. The result was the development of a consistent brand and refined messaging for the NIH Clinical Center to communicate the importance of participating in clinical research to diverse patients. http://www.encstrategy.com/case-studies/nih/
Case In Point:
Strategic Communications Planning
National Cancer Institute Human Genome Program Launch
Informing the Public, Developing Partnerships
LaTonya co-led the NCI communications team responsible for the launch of The Cancer Genome Atlas pilot, a three-year, $100 million program funded by NCI and the National Human Genome Research Institute to accelerate understanding of the molecular basis of cancer through the application of genome analysis technologies. PR Strategists designed communications strategies to announce the initiative to the scientific community, policymakers, advocates, private sector companies, NIH leadership, and the news media. The result was an informed public and formation of key partnerships with organizations that today support the program, now a permanent NCI initiative. http://cancergenome.nih.gov/
Clinical Trial Recruitment
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. PR Strategists developed patient recruitment programs for healthy volunteers and childhood research studies that included messaging research, patient recruitment plan development, and drafting plain language fact sheets, websites, and social media strategies.
National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Research. PR Strategists led outreach efforts for an NCI-funded kidney cancer trial aimed at recruiting Ashkenazi Jewish families, where incidence of the disease is high. Activities included partnerships with kidney cancer organizations and synagogues, targeted radio and print media strategy, and materials development.
National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Research. PR Strategists worked with NCI principal investigators to produce a physician engagement campaign for NCI-funded prostate cancer vaccine trials, including development of the study brochure, fact sheet, and letters to primary care physicians and oncologists.
Case In Point:
Clinical Trial Recruitment
Biotech Company Sickle Cell Study
Engaging Minority Patients for a Multi-site Study
GlycoMimetics, a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company that is investigating a novel drug candidate for sickle cell disease, needed help recruiting for their inpatient, phase 2 clinical trial being conducted at 20 sites in the U.S. and Canada. Working collaboratively with PressComm PR, PR Strategists led targeted outreach to the sickle cell community, including developing relationships between the study sites and local sickle cell community organizations, and educating potential participants about the trial at community events, fundraisers, conferences and support group meetings. The result was increased awareness about the trial, and engagement with sickle cell organizations, including a robust relationship with the nation’s largest sickle cell patient advocacy organization. http://www.glycomimetics.com/patient-information/
Case In Point:
Clinical Trial Recruitment
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases’ Diabetes Prevention Program
A Comprehensive Recruitment Strategy for a Landmark NIH Study
NIDDK had an ambitious goal of recruiting a large cohort of healthy, yet at-risk, adults made up of 45 percent ethnic minorities for its landmark, Type 2, Diabetes Prevention Program. LaTonya served on the communications team that developed the patient recruitment strategy and coordinated the national media launch, including writing low literacy recruitment materials, developing community partnerships, and training participating hospitals’ recruitment coordinators to encourage study participation. NIDDK ultimately reached its recruitment goal, greatly contributing to scientists’ understanding of diabetes prevention in people at high risk for the disease – an accomplishment that could only be achieved with a diverse participant base. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/preventionprogram/
Multicultural Outreach
National Cancer Institute Office of Communications and Education—PR Strategists helped create materials to prompt primarily minority and underserved women to “make and keep your mammogram appointment.” Campaign resources were based on timely scientific research, detailing the importance of mammograms, government resources to help cover screening costs, an appointment reminder, and a specific call to action for women to talk to their doctors.
Case In Point:
Multicultural Outreach
National Cancer Institute Pediatric Branch – N.E. Place Clinic
Hands-on Community Partnership Building in Washington, D.C.
The NCI Pediatric Branch studies and cares for children with AIDS and HIV disease but is often challenged to find and retain minorities and older adolescents for its clinical studies. PR Strategists developed a community-based outreach strategy to identify adolescents with or at high risk for HIV/AIDS for treatment at an NCI-sponsored clinic in Northeast Washington, D.C. Their strategy included naming the clinic (N.E. Place, for its location and implied anonymity), and coordinating community events, radio promotions, and a robust partnership plan to build awareness of this free, confidential resource. The result was an increase in the number of young people who were treated by NCI’s pediatric AIDS team and increased knowledge of the impact of AIDS on adolescents.
Case In Point:
Multicultural Outreach
National Cancer Institute Cervical Cancer Screening Program
Providing Best Practices to Partners in the Field
Although U.S. cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates have declined significantly over the past three decades, the disease remains a serious health threat, especially among Hispanic and African American women and Caucasian women living in Appalachia and other high incidence geographic regions of the U.S. PR Strategists worked with NCI and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop a literature review and compilation of best practices for encouraging minority and medically underserved older women to get regular Pap tests. The result was a compendium of successful outreach strategies, including use of lay health workers, personalized mailers, and education through churches, for community partners to adapt to reach older women in their areas.