by admin | May 22, 2018 | News
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 22, 2018 Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and healthcare IT (HIT) public relations and marketing agency, announced today that it has added another accolade from the PR industry. The agency was recently recognized in the overall Healthcare Agency category in Ragan and PR Daily’s Ace Awards 2017.
The Honorable Mention award is just the latest national recognition for the agency, which provides a full range of PR and marketing services, including media and analyst relations, messaging, media training, content development and management, social media, digital and online marketing, collateral development, website design and content creation, crisis management, strategic counsel and other services.
“We have received many awards focused on specific campaigns, but we’re especially proud of this award from Ragan and PR Daily because it recognizes the agency as a whole our work, how we operate, our development of a high-performance team and culture, and the results we generate for clients,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “We’ve lived and breathed healthcare technology for nearly two decades and, as a result, have developed a team of healthcare veterans with the experience, connections and creativity to drive meaningful business results for businesses of all sizes, whether they’re early-stage startups or established public companies.”
The Ace Awards honor individuals, in-house teams and agencies in communications and marketing. Entrants represent the most talented and innovative thinkers across a variety of industries.
Media Contact:
Marcia Rhodes
Amendola Communications
mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
by admin | May 10, 2018 | News
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. May 10, 2018 Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and health IT public relations and marketing agency, announced today that it has been selected as the agency of record for Lightbeam Health Solutions, a leader in end-to-end population health management solutions and services. Amendola will promote Lightbeam’s brand, solutions and thought leaders through its deep relationships with industry media, influencers and events.
Irving, Texas-based Lightbeam integrates data warehousing, data analytics, health information exchange and care management capabilities to deliver the most comprehensive population health management solutions in healthcare. Lightbeam’s technology provides the guidance needed to deliver the right care at the right time, while reducing costs and delivering outstanding financial results.
“Lightbeam is committed to equipping providers with the solutions needed to improve the lives of whole populations of patients across the continuum of care, while helping them to better manage the cost of that care,” said Jorge Miranda, EVP of Lightbeam Health Solutions. “We look forward to benefitting from Amendola’s strategic vision and expert execution as we continue to help healthcare organizations and ACOs make the challenging journey from volume to value.”
“Population health management is a crowded field with numerous companies struggling to achieve the sort of end-to-end solution that Lightbeam has developed,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “We are thrilled to partner with Lightbeam’s leadership several of whom we have worked with in previous companies to accelerate their ability to attract new customers and partnerships.”
About Lightbeam Health Solutions
Lightbeam Health Solutions delivers a revolutionary model for managing patient populations and associated risk. Lightbeam’s vision is to bring health data into the light through the use of analytics, and to provide the insight and capabilities healthcare clients need to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time. Lightbeam’s platform facilitates end-to-end population health management for ACOs, payers, provider groups, health systems, and other healthcare organizations aspiring to provide superior care at a lower cost. For more information, visit
www.lightbeamhealth.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Media Contact: Marcia Rhodes | mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
by admin | Apr 10, 2018 | News
About Blogging at Northern Illinois University’s “Digital Days”
Program brings in practitioners from the business world to provide business students with real-world perspectives on digital marketing techniques and job opportunities
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. April 10, 2018 In keeping with its commitment to helping to develop the next generation of PR professionals, Amendola Communications, an award-winning healthcare marketing and public relations agency, today announced that senior account and content director Ken Krause recently was a guest lecturer during Digital Days at Northern Illinois University (NIU).
Krause, an award-winning writer across several disciplines, presented “My Life As A Blogger” to the Marketing 370 class at NIU’s College of Business on the DeKalb campus. It was a homecoming of sorts, as Krause is an NIU graduate, where he majored in speech communications.
Amendola Communications Ken Krause (second from right) is shown here with the class and instructor Mike Nikolich (far right).
The presentation covered two primary areas. One was Krause’s experiences launching and maintaining the award-winning Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog, which is focused on maximizing the experience of playing fastpitch softball for coaches, parents, and players. Life in the Fastpitch Lane is one of the top-rated blogs in its niche. The second was his work for Amendola Communications, creating content for the agency’s healthcare IT (HIT) clients as well as managing the agency’s own blog. The presentation concluded with Ken’s guidance for the students regarding careers in the digital marketing field, aided by input from Jenna Warner, digital communications manager at Amendola Communications.
“We were happy to loan Ken to NIU for the day,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “We’ve always felt a sense of responsibility to help students learn about various aspects of PR and marketing, whether that’s through our Shadow Day program for local high schools, internships for college students, or speaking opportunities such as this one. Ken is a natural teacher, so I’m sure the marketing class learned a lot about blogging and creating content for digital marketing, and had an enjoyable time listening to him.”
NIU Digital Days was created by Mike Nikolich, instructor and director of NIU’s Digital Marketing Program. Before teaching graduate and undergraduate students at NIU, Nikolich spent 30 years as a PR professional, including founding his own agency. The objective of Digital Days is to bring in active professionals across multiple aspects of digital marketing to share their knowledge and experiences, giving students insights into what it’s like to work in the field and help them correlate what they’re learning in class to the real world. It also gives students opportunities to network with the presenters.
“Ken and I have known each other since we were kids,” said Nikolich. “We worked together at several agencies, so I’m very familiar with him as both a writer and presenter. He has done an amazing job of building one of the country’s leading fastpitch softball blogs, and we appreciate him sharing his expertise with the class. I hope to expand Digital Days in the future, and build more ties between NIU and the business world. Ken has a permanent invitation to participate in this event.”
Media Contact: Marcia Rhodes | mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
by admin | Mar 1, 2018 | News
Amendola Communications clients and client customers to co-present on diverse cross-section of topics at industry’s largest event of the year
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Mar. 1, 2018 Amendola Communications, an award-winning healthcare marketing and public relations agency, and a regular attendee of HIMSS for over a decade, recommends the following key educational sessions to attend at this year’s conference in Las Vegas, March 5 9. The sessions are being led by provider organizations that have benefited from a range of solutions from Amendola clients Health Catalyst, SCIO Health Analytics, Vivify Health, ClearDATA, Kno2, Payformance, Orion Health, and SAP.
Analytics in the Hospital
“Real Quality: A Recipe for Healthier Patients and Happier Doctors” By eliminating clinically-irrelevant “noise,” Partners Healthcare identifies meaningful quality insights that can then be deployed to improve patient outcomes. Speaker: Thomas Sequist, MD, Chief Quality and Safety Officer, Partners Healthcare, and Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 6, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center, Sands Show Room.
“How Data and Analytics Can Improve CV Quality and Outcomes” Allina Health describes how strong partnerships and powerful data analytics are driving meaningful improvements in CV quality and outcomes. Speaker: Craig E. Strauss, MD, Medical Director of Quality, Innovation and Outcomes, Minneapolis Heart Institute/Allina Health. 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center, Delfino 4004.
“Shared Governance and Data Framework Improves Quality” MultiCare Health System offers a case study on how a shared governance arrangement was used to build a strategic framework for analytics to deliver not only broader quality outcomes, but also service excellence and affordable care. Speakers: Kate Mundell, Director, Clinically Integrated Network, MultiCare Health System, and Amber Theel, Director, Quality Outcomes and Metrics, MultiCare Health System. 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center, Marcello 4405.
“How Analytics Can Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement” Mission Health’s case studies illustrate how analytics can be used to reduce readmissions, improve sepsis, stroke, and heart failure outcomes, and scale the preventative care needed to succeed in population health management. Speaker: Chris DeRienzo, Chief Quality Officer, Mission Health, Mission Hospital. 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Thursday, March 8, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center Palazzo D.
“How Data Analytics Reduces Nurse Leakage, Improves Care” This session describes how Mercy Hospital used advanced analytics to save $4.3 million in one year by reducing nursing full time equivalent leakage. Speakers: Michael J. Gillen, Vice President, Operations, Mercy Hospital and Stacey Blankenship, Chief Nursing Officer, Mercy Hospital Jefferson. 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 7, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center, Palazzo D.
Interoperability
“Interoperability Sets the Foundation for Care Coordination” SSM Health describes how it drove the adoption of an interoperability platform that simplified the exchange of patient data with skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), long-term post-acute care communities, and other providers within normal workflows. Speakers: Peter M. Schoch, Senior Vice President of Population Health & President of the Florida Hospital Physician Network, Adventist Health System, and Erica Neher, Senior Vice President of Healthcare Strategy, Kno2. 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 7, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center, Murano 3304.
Cloud Data Management & Security
“The Cloud Through the Eyes of a Community Health Center CIO” This session outlines the unique challenges and unexpected opportunities smaller organizations encounter when they move their core applications and protected health information to a secure, HIPAA-compliant cloud. Speakers: Larry Allen Chief Information Officer, MCR Health Services, and Matt Ferrari, Chief Technology Officer, ClearDATA. 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center, Palazzo L.
Remote Patient Monitoring
“Home Care Success with Virtual Care and Remote Monitoring” Trinity Health shares how it whittled readmission rates to just 4 percent by implementing virtual care-enabled home monitoring of patients. Speakers: Erin Denholm, President & CEO, Trinity Health At Home, and Robin Hill, Chief Clinical Officer, Vivify Health. 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center, Palazzo E.
Value-Based Reimbursement
“Scalable Approach to Your VBR Contracting” Learn about a platform that delivers efficiency, predictability and consistency in value-based care programs while creating an ecosystem that aligns payers and providers financial contracting goals with patient outcomes. Speaker: Kevin Mehta, Chief Technology Officer, Payformance Solutions, an Altarum Company. 12:00 p.m. – 12:20 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center, Level 1 Casanova, Booth 4000, HealthAdmin Theatre.
Patient Behavioral Analytics
“Behavioral Data & Analytics for 360 Degree Views” Learn how the art of effective data layering, including behavioral data along with analytics, can create a 360-degree view of patients to better understand patients behavior and the likelihood of their compliance with interventions and of engagement in their own care for improved outcomes. Speaker: Dave Hom, Chief Solutions & Business Development Officer, SCIO Health Analytics. 12:30 p.m. – 12:50 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center, Level 1 Casanova, Booth 14000, PopHealth Theater.
Accountable Care Organizations–Shared Savings
“Shared Savings Power Tools: An ACO-Focused App and Open HIE” Leaders from Innovation Care Partners (ICP), a physician-led clinical integration network and ACO, will discuss how they have surpassed expectations and are achieving maximum shared savings by leveraging innovative technology solutions. Speakers: Faron Thompson, Chief Operating Officer, Innovation Care Partners, and James T. Whitfill, Chief Medical Officer, Innovation Care Partners. 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 7, Las Vegas – Venetian Convention Center, Delfino 4004.
Communications
“The Impact of Smartphone Technology in Clinical Practice” Mobile devices have revolutionized communications within the hospital. This session will show how mobile technology enables clinicians to streamline communication and collaboration, reduce interruptions, improve physician response times and help hospitals transform care delivery. Speaker: Sean P. Spina, Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator, Vancouver Island Health Authority. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., March 6, Las Vegas Venetian Convention Center, Palazzo E.
Organizational strategy
“Transforming IT: The Journey to Clinical Innovation” Halifax Health, a two-hospital Florida system, has greatly improved its IT department, the morale of department staff, and the acceptance of new technology by providers in the past five years. This session will explain how Halifax’s IT shop accomplished this feat by focusing on strategy and leadership principles. Speaker: Tom Stafford, Vice President & CIO, Halifax Health. 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m., March 8, Las Vegas Venetian Convention Center, Galileo 901.
“Chief Experience Officer: New Leader Driving Innovation to Transform Healthcare” This session will describe how the new cadre of Chief Experience Officers are changing hospitals approach to the patient experience and how technology can elevate care team communication, improve workflows, and engage patients, family and staff. Speaker: Sue Murphy, Chief Experience and Innovation Officer, University of Chicago Medicine, who will also receive the Kate Granger Compassionate Care Award at the HIMSS18 Awards Gala. 4:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m., March 7, Las Vegas Venetian Convention Center, Delfino 4002.
“Amendola Communications is incredibly proud of the contributions our clients are making in so many different areas of healthcare, as evidenced by the sheer breadth and depth of the topics their own customers will be discussing at HIMSS,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications.
She added, “I urge any HIMSS attendee who wants to gain a well-rounded understanding of healthcare’s most promising developments to check out as many of the above sessions as possible.”
Media Contact: Marcia Rhodes | mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
by admin | Feb 21, 2018 | Blog
Back in 2016, the Amendola Communications team collaborated on a blog post offering tips on how to stay healthy at HIMSS. With HIMSS 2018 coming up right as the U.S. in the midst of a flu epidemic, that sage advice is even more apropos.
You’re about to find yourself in a largely environmentally closed room with 42,000 of your industry compatriots. Many of those folks first walked through an airport and shared the same recirculated air in a jam-packed jet. It’s like a scenario from a disaster movie.
Even without all of that, it’s still a physical and mental marathon. It’s five straight days of being on point, on message, and on your feet. It’s HIMSS! To help you survive it, and perhaps avoid becoming one more tick in the flu statistics this year, here are some tips from the team at Amendola, who have years of HIMSS conferences under our belt.
Michelle Noteboom, Senior Account and Content Director: Assume you won’t get eight hours of sleep a night but find a way to get at least six. Make sure to drink a ton of water, which helps to hydrate you from all those late night adult beverages, and, seems to help a bit with swollen feet. Assume your feet will be swollen and your shoulders aching from lugging all the trinkets you collect from exhibitors. To that end, don’t forget Advil and Band-Aids for your feet. Bring healthy snacks for your hotel room, and finally, don’t skimp on coffee. That weak hotel room stuff doesn’t cut it when you have to be “on” for 18 hours straight. HIMSS requires a Venti Starbucks!
Margaret Kelly, Research Coordinator: Bring an emergency kit. For women, pack a clear-plastic and easy-to-get-to bag full of small amounts of Tylenol (or pain reliever of choice), Tums, “handitizor” (as my granddaughter calls it), bandages for the shoe blisters, safety pins, Chapstick, protein bar, and breath mints. The men’s version just substitute the safety pins with duct tape, and a fanny pack for the plastic bag!
Todd Stein, Vice President: Be sure to schedule time for lunch. Many people fill up their schedules without remembering to leave time for eating. Me, for instance. Every darn year.
Amy Koehlmoos, Senior Account Director and Resident Germaphobe suggests bringing the following:
- Raw almonds (they’re small, portable, healthy and provide good energy)
- Anti-bacterial wipes (for the trays, arm/head rests in the plane; and the faucets, door handles, light switches in the hotel room)
- Small Ziploc baggies (I put remote controls in these as those suckers are the #1 place for nasty germs in hotel rooms!)
- Hand sanitizer (you shake lots of hands at these events!)
- Earplugs (help you get a good night’s sleep in a hotel, where there are often weird sounds and loud neighbors)
- Shoes with arch support (my philosophy is you look better wearing an orthopedic pair of shoes with confidence than you do limping around with a pained expression on your face and a pair of sassy heels on your feet)
- Phone/connections to loved ones (mental health is important and having easy access to pictures of family and the ability to Facetime them at night makes it a bit easier to be away from home).
Ken Krause, Senior Account and Content Director and our other Resident Germaphobe:
- Drive instead of fly. Planes are breeding grounds for germs, and they keep recirculating.
- Assume everything you’re about to touch has been previously touched by a small child with a runny nose. Proceed accordingly. That goes double for your hotel room.
- Eat like your significant other is there watching you. Nothing good comes from visiting the snack machine.
- Try not to touch your eyes or nose after touching a common surface such as a doorknob until you can either wash your hands or use a cleanser such as Purell.
- Get to sleep as soon as you can rather than staying up watching TV or reading. Sometimes business travel calls for working on minimal sleep, but don’t go out of your way to get into that state.
