Healthcare agency to increase awareness of scalable solutions for streamlined clinical data optimization
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 24, 2020 – Amendola Communications (Amendola), a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and health IT public relations and marketing firm, announced that Diameter Health has hired the agency to provide strategic PR, social media and content marketing services to drive thought leadership and visibility of its clinical data optimization technology for health plans, state and federal government, health information exchanges and throughout the healthcare ecosystem.
Amendola will promote Farmington, CT-based, Diameter Health through ongoing PR and content development programs, supported by Amendola’s top-tier industry and media relations team. Drawing on Amendola’s deep industry knowledge and diverse media relationships in healthcare, business and consumer media, the comprehensive program will promote the benefits of quality healthcare data that improves patient care, increases revenue, as well as reduces administrative burden.
“I’ve worked with Amendola at two previous companies and Jodi and the A-team deliver top notch results,” says Terry Boch, chief commercial officer at Diameter Health. “In the short time we’ve been working together, the program has already made an impact. Their depth of healthcare knowledge, marketing and public relations expertise and industry connections have been fundamental in communicating our solutions for clinical data optimization to clients and prospects.”
“I am ecstatic to add Diameter Health to our growing family of companies that rely on Amendola to gain ongoing visibility in a dramatically shifting marketplace,” said agency CEO Jodi Amendola. “Diameter Health, which normalizes and enriches clinical data to create real time value, improving both the quantity and quality of data, is leading the way with improved ROI, which is especially important during this economic environment. In addition to delivering industry leading technology to automate data optimization for clients with real successes and outcomes, the company is led by an experienced, proven management team. We look forward to the ongoing partnership and to building momentum to drive strategic growth.”
With automated, proven technology and a five-step data optimization process, Diameter Health improves both the quality and quantity of clinical data available to drive critical business and healthcare processes. Diameter Health provides a longitudinal patient record, packaged and ready for use in HEDIS reporting, risk adjustment, care management, and gaps in care solutions. With a highly scalable platform that aggregates clinical data from disparate systems, Diameter Health’s solutions deliver FHIR-ready standardized, interoperable data that is more accurate and complete.
About Amendola Communications
Amendola is an award-winning, full-service and insights-driven public relations and marketing firm that integrates PR, social media, content and lead gen programs to move healthcare, life sciences/pharma and healthcare IT decision-makers to action. The agency represents some of the best-known brands and groundbreaking startups that are disrupting the status quo. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing veterans understand the complex healthcare environment and provide strategic guidance and creative thinking to deliver proven ROI that boosts reputations and drives market share. Making an impact since 2003, with an unprecedented number of repeat clients, Amendola combines traditional, digital and new media to drive growth. For more information about the industry’s “A-Team,” visit www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Diameter Health
Diameter Health is the standard for clinical data optimization, transforming raw patient information into the highest quantity and quality of interoperable data for healthcare organizations. Powered by automated, scalable, auditable technology and a team of industry experts, Diameter Health delivers actionable and enriched clinical data that enables real-time transactions, improved analytics, reduced cost, and better care outcomes. The Diameter Health platform enables organizations that depend on multi-source clinical data streams, such as health plans, Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), healthcare IT, life insurers, and state and federal governments to realize greater value from their data. For more information, visit www.diameterhealth.com or contact us at info@diameterhealth.com.
Despite all of the metrics and data at our fingertips these days, public relations is still more art than science when it comes to attaining the ultimate goal: media coverage.
Sure, reports that show impact after the fact are indispensable and all the information at our fingertips has made the task of gathering this analysis much more comprehensive. The number of unique visitors per month (UVM) to news sites, conversion rates, click-throughs, etc. are all important. But what it is measuring and analyzing is the media placement the PR team has earned.
When it comes to media outreach, it is all about the intangible ability of the PR specialist to communicate a story, pull someone in, and generate enough interest that the journalist wants to learn more. There is no algorithm or artificial intelligence that has cracked that code.
In the media relations world, you need to master subtlety, conciseness, creativity, patience, and common sense. Who are the reporters you are contacting?
What is their preferred method of being contacted? What’s their beat? What have they written about recently?
Yes, we have tools that make this research much easier than it used to be. Honestly, I can’t imagine doing this job 40 years ago. The legwork had to have been exhausting. But, when it comes down to it, you are the one making the connection and, hopefully, securing the interview and/or placement.
As any PR vet will tell you, there is one thing serious reporters hate: spin. It’s an easy trap to fall into. The cliché among reporters is that anyone contacting them on behalf of a company, be it for a thought leadership article or an interview, is trying to use them as a mouthpiece for the company, product or executive they represent.
While your job is certainly to raise awareness for your client, you cannot be a part of their sales team. You are telling their story and demonstrating what makes them relevant and interesting. Members of the media will automatically roll their eyes at hyperbole, spin and overt self-promotion.
During my years in PR, I have seen examples of this plenty of times. You work with a client who insists on promoting a product launch to a reporter at a national publication, who inevitably responds (if they respond at all) with one word: “pass.”
The same goes for thought leadership. If you offer an interview by saying, “Ms. XYZ can talk to you about how their widget is revolutionizing the world of widgetry,” any reporter worth their salt will hit delete immediately.
If you say, “The world of widgetry has faced a multitude of issues during the past year due to end users dealing with (for example) data breaches. Ms. XYZ can offer concrete steps these companies can take to become more secure,” now they’re listening. If you can recruit one or two of your client’s customers to attest to the effectiveness of this approach, it drastically increases your chance of garnering interest from the media.
When it comes to byline articles and op-eds, the same rules apply. If Ms. XYZ writes a piece littered with references to how great her company and its solutions are, it’s not going to fly with most publications from trades to large national publications. I have seen self-promotional op-eds turned down many times. I have also seen them rewritten with the self-promotion removed, and that same publication reversing course and running the article.
This is all a balancing act. You have to meet the journalist’s standards and the client’s expectations at the same time. For both, it comes down to clear and honest communication.
You need to be armed with the reasons a reporter should be interested in your pitch, and you need to make sure your client understands that issue-driven not product-driven coverage is what will give them credibility in the industry.
Maybe someday companies will be able to enter information into an AI platform that writes the perfect pitch. Human-to-human media relations will become a profession of the past.
But let’s not dwell on that. I don’t want to give Zuckerberg any ideas and I want to keep my job.
The bottom line is we are storytellers, not spinmeisters. It takes nuance and authenticity. If you can pitch substance over spin, the results will speak for themselves.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 30, 2020 – Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and health IT public relations and marketing agency, has promoted Philip Anast to the position of General Manager, the agency announced today. Anast is a PR agency veteran with more than two decades of experience in account leadership and executive roles at B2B, healthcare/health IT and technology agencies. In alignment with Amendola’s policy to promote from within, Anast previously served as a Senior Account Director at Amendola, providing strategy and oversight for numerous client accounts over the past three years.
As General Manager, Anast is taking on a number of leadership roles. On a daily basis, he handles employee and client relations, and is managing agency-wide best practices. He also manages major agency projects and evaluates and implements new products and services that expand the agency’s digital marketing, social media and analytics capabilities.
“Philip has built an impressive career at PR agencies of all sizes and is ideally suited for the role of Amendola’s General Manager,” said Jodi Amendola, founder and CEO of Amendola Communications. He is objective, solutions-oriented, and cares about agency employees and clients. Philip is not only an exceptional account director, he also brings to the table strong managerial experience.”
In addition to his General Manager role, Anast serves as strategist for a number of accounts.
Anast has served in senior positions in large and small agencies over the years. Prior to joining Amendola, Anast was Vice President at Chicago-based PR firm Tech Image. During his 15-year tenure there, Anast was instrumental in managing client programs, providing strategic counsel, pitching new business, growing client relationships, teaching best practices and managing finances.
During his prolific career, Anast has provided public relations expertise to clients such as HP, Language Analysis Systems, Motorola, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Kaufman Hall, Vocera (VCRA), Capsule Technologies, Lightbeam Health and others.
“I’m pleased to step into the role of General Manager at Amendola. I see Amendola growing on multiple levels, including our client portfolio, service offerings and account director and support teams,” Anast said. “My chief goal for the new role is to set us up for success as we expand our footprint in public relations, digital and content marketing, and social media.”
About Amendola Communications Amendola is an award-winning, national public relations, marketing communications, social media and content marketing firm. Named one of the best information technology (IT) PR firms in the nation four times by PRSourceCode, Amendola represents some of the best-known established brands and groundbreaking startups in the healthcare and HIT industries. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros delivers strategic guidance and effective solutions to help organizations boost their reputation and drive market share. For more information about the PR industry’s “A-Team”, visit www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Media Contact: Marcia G. Rhodes Amendola Communications 480.664.8412 ext. 15 mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. June 4, 2020 Amendola Communications announced today that it has won two 2020 Bulldog PR Awards, solidifying the company’s reputation as a top public relations (PR) and marketing communications agency for healthcare and health IT. The Bulldog PR Awards, which celebrate the best and brightest corporate communications and PR efforts, honored Amendola with a Gold award for a Crisis Communication campaign for its client Air Methods and a Silver award for a Business-to-Business (B2B) Product Launch campaign for long-time client Vocera Communications.
“We are proud to be recognized for the hard work that our team put into executing both metrics-driven campaigns,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO
of Amendola. “From September 1, 2018 to July 30, 2019, Air Methods saw their positive PR coverage double from 28% to 45%. The success of the Vocera campaign in generating both traditional and new media hits will serve as a blueprint for future product introductions.”
AIR METHODS
“Amendola Helps Air Methods’ Reputation Take Flight” campaign took Gold in the Best Crisis Management category. Emergency air medical transport service Air Methods called upon Amendola after facing ongoing negative coverage about their pricing model which had been misrepresented by former patients in the media. Amendola took innovative steps through social media outreach, proactive storytelling, localized base engagements, and digital media to change the public perception of Air Methods and the quality of media coverage about the company.
Amendola created an all-encompassing, 40-page, multi-pronged crisis communications playbook to anticipate and help address a myriad of potential challenges. Additionally, the agency crafted a proactive storytelling pipeline that included information about Air Methods’ business goals to curb balance bills, showcased positive patient stories and highlighted the innovative clinical processes that Air Methods created that were impacting the industry. With the proactive storytelling, a large element of the strategy was to implement Air Methods’ first-ever integrated marketing campaign to leverage more channels than ever before to ensure all stakeholders received the message.
By placing a human face on the company Air Methods has been able to use their visibility as an industry leader to encourage other changes to industry practices. For example, it eliminated “memberships” that offered little value if patients were transported by a different company and is now pushing the industry as a whole to do the same.
VOCERA COMMUNICATIONS
“Vocera Calls on Amendola to Introduce Smartbadge Wearable Communications Device” campaign took Silver in the Best B2B Product Launch category. Vocera Communications, whose mission is to simplify and improve the lives of healthcare professionals and patients, while enabling hospitals to enhance quality of care and operation efficiency, launched a voice-activated communications badge, the Smartbadge. A new category of wearable communication devices, the “Smartbadge” enables clinicians to communicate using all the options available in the expanded Vocera Platform voice calling, messaging, clinical alerts/alarms and more.
With intentions of making a splash from the start, Vocera turned to Amendola to develop an integrated PR/marketing strategy that encompassed generating quick visibility during the introductory period (January-February) while also being sustainable throughout 2019. To seed early coverage, Amendola pre-pitched a press release to healthcare and national media journalists, including broadcast media and podcasts. Furthermore, the
plan called for the creation of various writing pieces as it relates to communication in healthcare, aggressive content marketing efforts for infographics, and the submission of Vocera executives for a broad range of speaking opportunities.
The initiative resulted in 29 high value, single-focus features or interviews, four byline placements, three confirmed speaker opportunities, and a prestigious MedTech Breakthrough Award. Additionally, the campaign significantly impacted its Twitter presence resulting in 173% rise in @mentions received, 145% rise in new followers, 312% increase in retweets, 429% increase in click-throughs, and nearly 50% rise in impressions to 12,200.
About Amendola
Amendola is an award-winning national public relations, marketing communications, digital and content marketing firm. Named one of the best information technology (IT) PR firms in the nation four times by PRSourceCode, Amendola represents some of the best-known brands and groundbreaking startups in the healthcare and HIT industries. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros delivers strategic guidance and effective solutions to help organizations boost their reputation and drive market share. For more information about the PR industry’s “A Team,” visit”http://acmarketingpr.adesignfoundation.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Amendola Communications CEO recognized in the “Leader” category for her outstanding achievements in building a high-performing PR and marketing agency
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 19, 2020 Ragan Communications confirmed what most healthcare and health IT companies (and her employees) already know when it recognized Jodi Amendola in the “Leaders” category in its inaugural “Top Women in Communications” Awards.
Ms. Amendola was honored for her achievements in leading Amendola Communications to become an award-winning, “go-to” agency for PR and marketing within the healthcare and health IT industries. The agency has consistently developed award-winning campaigns and programs for start-ups, mid-tier and large industry organizations, and has helped take multiple clients to initial public offerings, merger and acquisition or other positive financial outcomes.
“I am thrilled to receive this recognition from Ragan, but none of it would be possible without our great clients and the outstanding team we have built,” said Amendola, who is CEO of her eponymous agency. “When I first started Amendola Communications there were just three of us working out of a spare bedroom. It was hard to imagine then that one day we would have 25 brilliant PR and marketing professionals spread across every
region of the country and more than 40 of the top healthcare and health IT companies on our client roster. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and the best is yet to come. I am grateful and humbled to receive this award, and to stand with so many other tremendous women leaders.”
Ragan’s Top Women in Communications Awards are presented annually to women who are making a significant impact in their day-to-day job and career, advancing the profession while accelerating growth for their organizations. A Top Woman in Communication inspires she is fearless and an indefatigable player in the game. To qualify in the Leader category, the nominee must lead with conviction and empathy, and have a team that looks up to her.
Amendola Communications has been on a hot streak this awards season. The agency recently had three client campaigns earn recognition in the 2019 MarCom Awards, and won “Campaign of the Year” for its work with client Health Catalyst in the Business Intelligence Group 2019 Public Relations and Marketing Excellence
Awards.
About Amendola Amendola is an award-winning national public relations, marketing communications, digital and content marketing firm. Named one of the best information technology (IT) PR firms in the nation four times by PRSourceCode, Amendola represents some of the best-known brands and groundbreaking startups in the healthcare and HIT industries. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros delivers strategic guidance and effective solutions to help organizations boost their reputation and drive market share. For more information about the PR industry’s “A Team,” visit acmarketingpr.com and follow Amendola on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Marcia Rhodes, Amendola Communications, mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
