by admin | Jan 3, 2017 | News
Agency insiders share tips for getting noticed at HIMSS, securing coverage by the New York Times and more
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 3, 2017 Healthcare IT companies seeking strategic tips and advice for their 2017 public relations efforts can start by checking out a series of blog posts from Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and healthcare IT public relations and marketing agency. In brief, here are Amendola’s top posts of 2016 covering a range of topics from how to land national press to leading your company out of a healthcare PR crisis.
“Be a Media Darling.” A media darling is someone who knows how to engage the media by delivering pithy sound bites that reporters love and audiences remember. Being engaging not only helps build your brand, it keeps you high on a reporter’s list of go-to sources as well. Here is an example of how being quotable got Amendola’s client, Chris Bowen, chief privacy and security officer at ClearDATA, mentioned in USA Today. In the article, It’s East vs West in Healthcare, Bowen said, “Sometimes it’s not as comfortable as you think, straddling a barbed-wire fence like that.” Here’s a tip: Before your next scheduled media interview, write down the key message you want to convey. Then go the extra step of formulating a sound bite.
“How to Get Your Startup Covered by The New York Times.” The Times coverage of healthcare IT seems to consist almost entirely of IBM Watson Health (it helps to be one of the world’s great brands) and of large health insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Conspicuously absent from their coverage is your average startup with a Series A round in the low 8-figures, and two or three marquis clients who may or may not be willing to talk to the press. The odds of such a company getting ink in the New York Times are slightly worse than the odds of being struck by lightning while speeding. And yet, sometimes, under the right circumstances and with the right preparation lightning does strike. Case in point: Amendola client Zipongo, a three-year-old San Francisco-based startup with about 50 employees, $10 million in funding, and one brilliant idea.
“Getting Noticed at HIMSS: Four Insider Tips from Industry Journalists.” With 125 credentialed press floating among a sea of 43,000-plus attendees and over 1,300 HIMSS exhibitors, rising above the noise takes hard work, tactical planning, and a little bit of luck to land the coverage your company desires. So how can you make the most out of your HIMSS investment and improve your chances of getting noticed among press, analysts, and ultimately, potential customers? We asked four respected healthcare IT journalists what advice they would give to attending vendors to maximize their efforts, remain relevant, and stand out among an overly “transformative,” “disruptive,” “innovative,” and “solution”-saturated HIMSS conference world.
“7 Factors for Finding Your Agency Soul Mate.” Selecting a PR agency is much like selecting a spouse. It’s an intimate relationship; we often talk with our own clients several times a day on the phone and email, so we know how important it is for agencies and their clients to “click.” As for finding this perfect PR match, it’s a lot like real life dating. With 25 years of experience running an agency, our founder and CEO Jodi Amendola has identified a foolproof vetting process with 7 key factors.
“What HIT Writing Needs is More Cowbell.” If the headline to this blog post made you smile, conjuring up visions of Will Farrell in a shirt two sizes too small and Christopher Walken being, well, Christopher Walken, it proved an important point: At the end of the day, clinicians and HIT leaders put their pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else. Even if they don’t make hit records once their pants are on. Yes, there is a time to be serious and straightforward, such as in a journal article or a white paper. But in many other materials, a reference to pop culture, common quotes or other more consumer-oriented areas can put just the right amount of cowbell into your message.
Vlog: “How to Handle a Media Crisis.” In this video blog listen to Marcia Rhodes, Regional Managing Director at Amendola Communications, explain why preparing a PR crisis plan is as important as having a fire escape route.
“The Rise of Sponsored Content Or Is It Content Marketing Or Is It Native Advertising?” These terms have some subtle and not-so-subtle distinctions they are anything but one and the same. It’s important to understand the difference to ensure digital marketing program execution follows your strategy.
Amendola’s blog posts cover all things public relations and marketing. A go-to source for communications professionals, the blog publishes on a weekly basis and features over a dozen authors who are subject matter experts in every aspect of publicizing and marketing healthcare technology companies.
Tweet this: #PR insiders share tips for getting noticed at #HIMSS, securing coverage by @nytimes and more http://bit.ly/2aLriaQ | #HIT @AmendolaComm
About Amendola Communications
Amendola Communications 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 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 Rhodes | mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
by admin | Dec 14, 2016 | News
Retail healthcare company cites Amendola’s reach, as it expands nationwide
Scottsdale, Ariz. Dec. 14, 2016 Amendola Communications, an award-winning healthcare marketing and public relations agency, has announced it has been chosen as the agency of record by Infusion Express, a patient-focused alternative to hospital infusion centers. Infusion Express brings a new paradigm to the infusion market, offering individuals with chronic conditions the option to enjoy high-quality, personalized care in a convenient, comfortable, private setting with flexible hours at a price that is much lower than hospital-based infusion services.
“We chose Amendola to tell our story because of both its deep healthcare experience and its national reach,” said Don Peterson, CEO, Infusion Express. “As we expand, we want to make sure patients and providers are aware of this new option for high-quality infusions. We know Amendola is best positioned to get our message out.”
Infusion Express makes it easier for patients to get the infusion treatments they need to successfully manage conditions including multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, allergic asthma, plaque psoriasis, lupus, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, Lyme disease and blood disorders.
The company launched with locations in the Kansas City area, and has recently expanded to include treatment centers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia and Chicago metro areas. Infusion Express is an in-network provider for most health plans.
“Infusion Express is providing a unique service for an important and growing healthcare demographic people living with chronic conditions,” said Amendola CEO, Jodi Amendola. “We are thrilled to work with Infusion Express to educate providers and patients about the company’s superior level of service and convenience.”
Until now, patients who need regular infusion treatments had just two choices, a hospital or a physician’s office. Since infusion treatment can take several hours, this poses a significant disruption to their lives””often compounded by administrative hassles and parking expenses. By contrast, Infusion Express provides private rooms with comfortable chairs for patients and their guests. Snacks and healthy hydration, flat screen TVs and high-speed Wi-Fi are all features of Infusion Express treatment centers. Infusion Express offers appointments six days a week, and offers evening time slots.
About Amendola Communications
Amendola Communications 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 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.
About Infusion Express
Infusion Express (IVXpress, Inc.) delivers safe, clinically necessary drug treatments for patients who seek excellent customer service, comfort and convenience in a healthcare setting. Infusion Express provides a high-quality, cost-effective alternative to hospital or physician office infusion therapy, close to home.
Infusion Express IV therapy centers offer a superior level of service, with private suites, large screen TVs, high-speed Wi-Fi, complimentary snacks and healthy hydration. Flexible hours, including evenings and Saturdays, are available. Treatments cover a wide variety of autoimmune disorders such as Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, allergic asthma, plaque psoriasis and lupus. Infusion Express also provides treatments for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, Lyme disease, IV immunoglobulin and other blood disorders.
Open in Kansas and Missouri, new locations are opening soon in major cities in Illinois, California and Philadelphia. Most insurance plans accepted.
Visit www.infusionexpress.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Media Contact: Marcia Rhodes | mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
by admin | Sep 28, 2016 | News
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 28, 2016 Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and healthcare IT public relations and marketing agency, announced today that it has been selected as the agency of record and content development partner for ZirMed, the nation’s leading provider of end-to-end revenue cycle software and healthcare predictive analytics. Amendola will leverage long-standing relationships with healthcare editors and writers as well as deep industry expertise and extensive content development capabilities to help share the story of how ZirMed helps more than 500 hospitals and thousands of physician practices improve financial performance, contain costs, and achieve exceptional value-based program performance.
“Having seen Amendola Communications’ work over the past several years, I’ve been consistently impressed with their ability to generate market visibility for healthcare IT vendors, especially those on the leading edge,” said Scott Ablin, VP of Marketing for ZirMed. “In the short few weeks we’ve been working together, they’ve truly committed to learning our story and have already created highly-targeted content that is generating results for us in the markets we serve. I can’t wait to see where we are six months from now.”
Ablin also noted that the transition from fee-for-service to value-based care has been challenging for healthcare providers on many fronts, not the least of which is the shift in revenue. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and commercial health payers are demanding that hospitals, healthcare systems, and independent physicians take on additional risk increasingly, providers are paid based on successful patient and population outcomes rather than on services rendered. This historic change is taking place incrementally, meaning healthcare organizations must span both the volume- and value-based worlds and be able to manage the financial intricacies of each.
ZirMed helps these organizations by implementing cloud-based technology that reduces revenue leakage and enables providers to collect on money already owed them, improving cash flow today while laying the groundwork for effective billing and reporting in the world of value-based care. The company also helps providers identify and close care gaps in order to maximize Medicare Advantage risk adjustment reimbursement and Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) bonuses.
Amendola will supplement ZirMed’s in-house content generation team, as well as provide additional services including media and analyst relations, trade show support, and generating speaker and award opportunities. A key focus will be continuing to coordinate speaking opportunities for ZirMed’s outstanding thought-leaders in revenue cycle management, electronic data interchange (EDI), population health and predictive analytics.
“Although much of the healthcare industry has been focused on the clinical transition to value, getting the financial part right is critical to success,” said Jodi Amendola, chief executive officer at Amendola. “ZirMed is answering the question How will these new payment models work in the real world?’ When we met with their executive team, we were impressed with their vision and their expertise in the nuances of revenue cycle management in the post-Affordable Care Act world. We’re thrilled to be helping them bring their story to hospitals, health systems, and all the stakeholders focused on this incredibly important piece of the American healthcare puzzle.”
Tweet this: .@ZirMed hires @AmendolaComm as its #PR #AgencyofRecord http://bit.ly/2aLriaQ
About ZirMed
ZirMed’s comprehensive end-to-end platform of cloud-based revenue cycle management solutions including patient access, charge integrity, claims management, AR management, patient responsibility, and population health management empowers healthcare organizations of all sizes and types to optimize value-driven and fee-for-service reimbursements. By combining breakthrough predictive analytics technology with innovative software development and the industry’s most advanced transactional network, ZirMed solutions extract actionable insights that improve our clients’ revenue cycles while streamlining workflows, increasing operating efficiencies, and driving bottom-line results. ZirMed’s technology and client support continue to be honored with top industry awards, including KLAS, Healthcare Informatics, Best of SaaS Showplace (BoSS), and Black Book Rankings. To learn how ZirMed can help your healthcare organization boost its financial performance in an era of changing reimbursement models and rising operating costs, visit www.ZirMed.com.
About Amendola Communications
Amendola Communications 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 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 Rhodes | 480.664.8412 ext. 15 |mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
by Administrator | Sep 13, 2016 | News
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 13, 2016 Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and healthcare IT public relations and marketing agency, announced today that it has been selected as the agency of record for Connecture (Nasdaq: CNXR), a provider of web-based information systems used to create health insurance marketplaces. Amendola will effectively serve as the company’s public relations arm, leveraging its many relationships with industry media and analysts to broadly publicize Connecture’s brand, solutions and thought leaders, and aggressively pursue top-tier speaking and award opportunities.
“Amendola comes highly recommended to Connecture as the health IT industry’s premier public relations agency,” said Stephanie Meyer, Connecture’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re looking forward to putting those assets to work for us.” The agency will provide full account management, media relations, content for earned media placements and other PR and marketing resources to establish the Connecture brand at the forefront of the healthcare insurance marketplace.
Publicizing an emerging trend in the payer market
The influx of millions more insured consumers has arrived in tandem with what is shaping up to be a permanent, but still evolving trend in the healthcare payer market more tailored health and financial coverage. Connecture offers carriers, brokers and employers an intuitive platform they can use to create a personalized benefits shopping experience for their own targeted audiences.
“Connecture develops technology that helps consumers achieve health and financial security and make informed, intelligent choices about their healthcare and ancillary coverage,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “Offering tools that enroll millions of consumers in such plans helps healthcare achieve its holy grail of better outcomes at a lower cost an exciting message that Amendola can’t wait to publicize.”
About Connecture
Connecture (NASDAQ: CNXR) is a leading web-based consumer shopping, enrollment and retention platform for health insurance distribution. Connecture offers a personalized health insurance shopping experience that recommends the best fit insurance plan based on an individual’s preferences, health status, preferred providers, medications and expected out-of-pocket costs. Connecture’s customers are health insurance marketplace operators such as health plans, brokers and exchange operators, who must distribute health insurance in a cost-effective manner to a growing number of insured consumers. Connecture’s solutions automate key functions in the health insurance distribution process, allowing its customers to price and present plan options accurately to consumers and efficiently enroll, renew and manage plan members. www.connecture.com
About Amendola Communications
Amendola Communications 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 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 Rhodes | mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
by admin | Aug 24, 2016 | News
Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and healthcare IT public relations and marketing agency, announced today that it has been selected as the agency of record for Vocera Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VCRA). Amendola will provide a broad range of public relations and content services that promote Vocera’s mission to break down communication barriers and improve the healthcare experience for patients, families and care team members around the world.
“We knew Amendola Communications was the right agency to promote our unique value proposition to the right audiences and media outlets, with its deep industry knowledge and significant media and analyst relationships in the healthcare and healthcare IT sectors,” said Kathy English, Vice President of Enterprise Marketing. “The decision to hire Amendola was a clear and easy one to make after vetting the agency’s track record of delivering high-performance PR and marketing campaigns in our targeted markets. In just a few months, Amendola has already exceeded our expectations.”
Smartphones and wireless technology are fundamentally changing how care teams connect and collaborate, and Vocera is leading the way by supporting all types of communication, working in concert with multiple devices, and integrating with more than 70 clinical systems. The Vocera Communication Platform provides a secure, enterprise-class solution with an intelligent active staff directory that enables users to connect and communicate with each other instantly via voice communication, secure text messaging, and contextual alarm notifications. Used by more than 1,000 hospitals around the world, Vocera delivers the right information to the right person at the right time, saving valuable steps and time.
Amendola Communications is executing public relations, social media and content marketing strategy and programs for Vocera, with a special focus on the company’s thought leadership. Vocera’s leadership team is made up of widely respected clinicians and tech industry luminaries who are at the forefront of national movements in healthcare today, including offering technology solutions that address longstanding communication challenges and restoring the human connection at every point of a patient’s healthcare experience.
“We felt an instant connection to Vocera’s impressive team and look forward to promoting their initiatives and successes in this high-tech market where we have deep expertise,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “Our team is leveraging both Vocera’s thought leaders and clients to convey their important value proposition to the healthcare industry that critically depends on teamwork and the right information in order to globally dismantle communication barriers across even the largest healthcare enterprises.”
About Amendola Communications
Amendola Communications 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 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: Tara Stultz | 440.225.9595| tstultz@acmarketingpr.com
by Administrator | Aug 11, 2016 | News
Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning public relations, content creation and marketing firm specializing in healthcare and health information technology (HIT), has been invited to the board of the Arizona Chapter of the Health Information Management Systems Society (AzHIMSS).
Amendola will serve as chair of the AzHIMSS Marketing & Communications Committee, which supports the communication and outreach needs of the chapter. In this role, she will oversee all communications activities, including managing the website, promoting events, coordinating with other chapter committees and performing outreach to existing and prospective chapter members.
“We are very excited to have Jodi working with the AZ HIMSS Chapter board! Her expertise will help us elevate the chapter to a greater level,” said Laura Young, president, AzHIMSS.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to volunteer alongside other leaders in the Arizona HIT community to make our HIMSS chapter successful,” Amendola said. “Amendola Communications has been part of this robust HIT community since its founding in 2004. It will be a privilege for me to strengthen relationships with other leaders in this space and to build new relationships through my work with the chapter.”
Working with AzHIMSS is the latest opportunity for Amendola to give back to the healthcare community. She was also recently asked to serve as a judge for the 2016 Healthcare Marketing IMPACT Awards sponsored by Advertising Age and Modern Healthcare.
Amendola has delivered high-impact public relations and marketing campaigns for the healthcare and HIT industries for more than 25 years. She is an active member of the National Charity League, Inc., and has served on numerous boards including the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation and the X2 Health Network, a non-profit exclusive executive women’s health network.
To download Jodi’s photo, click here.
Tweet This: Jodi Amendola (@jamendola) invited to Arizona HIMSS Board http://bit.ly/2bd5lDo | #PR #healthIT #Marketing @AZHIMSS
About Amendola Communications
Amendola Communications 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 by PRSourceCode for four years running, Amendola represents some of the best-known brands and groundbreaking startups in the healthcare and healthcare IT 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, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Media Contact:
Marcia Rhodes |mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
