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Bulldog PR Awards 2020 Honors Amendola for Air Methods Crisis Management Campaign and Vocera Product Launch

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”https://www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Media Contact: 
Marcia Rhodes, Amendola Communications, 480.664.8412 ext. 15 / mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com

Jodi Amendola Honored as One of Ragan’s “Top Women in Communications”

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 https://www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media Contact: 
Marcia Rhodes, Amendola Communications, 480.664.8412 ext. 15 / mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com

Amendola Communications Advises How to Break Through the COVID-19 News Cycle

Healthcare PR and marketing agency offers guidance on getting your message out to a significantly reduced pool of reporters

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 5, 2020 The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate almost the entire news cycle. And with good cause, given its devastating impact on every aspect of our lives. Still, it poses challenges to break through, compounded by mass furloughs in the media of reporters, producers and other staff.  That makes it harder to get messages out about any topic, especially those unrelated to COVID-19.

To navigate this difficult news environment, Amendola Communications, a national public relations, marketing and social media agency, offers several key suggestions. The agency has successfully used a number of strategies to secure placements for clients in outlets that include the Boston Globe, Business Insider, Computerworld, ABC NewsDallas, CBS News-Chicago, Forbes, US News & World Report, Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! News, Fierce Healthcare, Healthcare IT News, HealthLeaders, MedPage Today, STAT, and dozens of other national and trade media outlets.

“Pitch feel-good news. People need to hear goodwill stories now more than ever,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola. “Pitch stories that educate and spark thinking. Be a true thought leader. What sorts of things will people want or need in the post-COVID-19 world to get back to normal. Start priming the pump with such stories now.”

These and other tips are included in a Forbes article by Ms. Amendola. Read the byline here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/05/01/how-to-break-through-an-all-consuming-news-cycle/#43e9d9346e48

Looking for additional guidance? The Amendola blog is one of the industry’s most comprehensive collections of advice on all things PR and marketing. Subscribe to the blog today.

About Amendola
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 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, Amendola Communications, 480.664.8412 ext. 15 / mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com

Amendola Expands, Adds Three Seasoned Healthcare & Tech PR & Marketing Pros To Its A-Team

Blend of corporate and agency expertise in pharma, healthcare, healthcare IT and tech uniquely positions agency for ongoing growth

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 12, 2020 Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and healthcare IT public relations and digital marketing agency announced today that it has added three new account directors: Sofia Kosmetatos, Nicole Rodriguez and Matt Pera. They will be responsible for creating and managing client programs, providing strategic counsel and positioning, and pitching media and other digital influencers for the agency’s healthcare and healthcare IT clients.

“It’s a very exciting time for Amendola as we continue to grow and expand,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO, Amendola. “The deep experience, diverse skills and relationships that Sofia, Nicole and Matt bring are essential to our continued growth. By hiring top talent, we can continue to deliver innovative, flexible and creative approaches so that our clients rise above the noise.”

Sofia Kosmetatos, senior account director

Sofia Kosmetatos, senior account director

Based in Washington, D.C., Kosmetatos will create and manage healthcare and health IT client programs, provide strategic counsel and messaging, and reach media and other digital influencers for the agency’s clients.

Kosmetatos brings nearly 20 years of public relations and journalism experience, including a dozen in healthcare and health IT. Most recently, she served as director of public affairs for West Health, a family of nonprofit organizations dedicated to lowering healthcare costs to enable successful aging. She worked closely with senior executives and researchers on multifaceted, data-driven initiatives to raise awareness of West Health’s policy research and overall brand among healthcare media and other key stakeholders such as legislators, regulators, advocacy organizations and policy experts.

Before joining West Health, Kosmetatos was director of media relations and online communications for the National Quality Forum, a healthcare quality organization engaged in measurement and innovation. Previously, she led communications for the American Health Quality Association, the trade organization representing Medicare’s Quality Improvement Organizations.

Earlier in her career, Kosmetatos was an award-winning reporter who covered the business of healthcare for The Detroit News.

Kosmetatos earned a Master of Journalism degree from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Nicole Risdall Rodriguez, senior account director

Nicole Risdall Rodriguez, senior account director

Rodriguez brings more than 15 years of marketing communications, public relations and business development experience in the pharmaceutical sciences, finance and health technology industries. Before joining the Amendola team, Rodriguez worked for Experian Health, where she delivered impactful creative services through the development and execution of integrated marketing campaigns and thought leadership initiatives.

Rodriguez has served as the catalyst for award-winning marketing and public relations campaigns that successfully integrate branding, product positioning, advertising, digital marketing, video, public relations, and event marketing to positively and seamlessly promote corporate identity and brand-specific campaigns on behalf of several Fortune 500 companies. Throughout her career, she has worked at the intersection of healthcare and science/technology at agencies including Syneos Health, H+K Strategies, MSL Group, and Burson Cohn & Wolfe.

Rodriguez is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Public Relations, with a minor in Sociology.

Matt Pera, account director

Pera has more than a decade of experience leading PR strategy for clients with a range of products and offerings including telehealth platforms, data management and protection, cybersecurity, Software as a Service, network connectivity, AI and more. Previously an award-winning reporter and news editor, he also works with businesses to create various types of content, including thought leadership articles, press releases, web content, blog posts, case studies, and white papers.

Before joining Amendola, Pera was responsible for raising awareness and achieving industry and top-tier media placements for healthcare tech and pharma companies within the University of Chicago’s startup incubator and tech transfer arm, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Prior to that, he served as an account lead for the Chicago-based PR firm Tech Image, where he managed strategy for global clients across a variety of industries.

Pera received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and English from Indiana University.

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 www.acmarketingpr.com, and follow Amendola on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media Contact: 
Marcia Rhodes, Amendola Communications, 480.664.8412 ext. 15 / mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com

Walking the Tightrope between Great Content and SEO

It may not quite be Lincoln and Douglas, or even great taste/less filling. But the debate about which is more important to a brand’s online presence great content or search engine optimization (SEO) continues to rage on.

On one side you have the writers. Especially the “old school” writers (like me) who launched their careers long before Al Gore invented the Internet.

When I started writing we used typewriters electric ones. I’m not that old. The total focus was on the quality of the content. Clever, attention-grabbing headlines that led into powerful, motivating body copy that carried the message in an interesting way was “all” that was required.

Then came the Internet, and with it the omnipotent search engines. No longer was it enough for headlines and copy to be creative and interesting. The data wonks said it also had to include certain keywords that would tell the search engines a particular page or document was relevant to the search the user was conducting.

In other words, if the user is searching on the term “crazy bunnies” it was important for those keywords to appear in the headline, and in the little words that came after. Especially the first paragraph.

While that makes sense from a data point of view, it definitely created a dilemma for writers. Having a brilliant headline was no longer enough, because you weren’t just trying to capture the attention of humans. You also had to capture the attention of the machines.

That situation set up a sort of chicken-and-egg dilemma. You could write the best website, or article, or other content in the world, but if no one could find it in a marketing world that increasingly relied on search what was the point?

On the other hand, if your document was easy to find due to liberal use of keywords but not very interesting or engaging, again what was the point? You’d lose the audience you’d worked so hard to capture.

It also led to practices such as keyword stuffing (including keywords out of context for the sole purpose of raising searching rankings) and a host of other tricks such as putting keywords on a page in the same color as the background so they couldn’t be seen by humans but would be read by web crawlers. Didn’t take long for the search engines to figure that one out.

Keeping the balance

Fortunately, Google (and other search engines no one really cares about) have continually updated their algorithms to go beyond simple keywords. They are getting better and better at determining the context of the content to ensure it’s actually relevant.

Still, keywords are important to success. So how do you reconcile the desire to write content that reaches people on a deep, human level with the need to tell the machines yes, this is the information they’ve been looking for?

Here is a process I’ve found to be effective.

  1. Start by knowing which keywords are ranking for the topic you want to promote. If you don’t already have a list, you can use Google AdWords, a free service, to plug in some terms that are relevant to your product/service. Then see which ones have relatively high search volumes with low competition. That will tell you what terms your audience is likely to be searching on, and how difficult it will be to rank high for them. The goal, of course, is page one above the fold. Be sure to check Google’s suggested substitutions too. There may be a more effective word or phrase lurking in there somewhere. Of course, if you have an agency (such as, oh, I dunno, Amendola Communications) you can hand that work off to them.
  2. Once you have your list, set it aside. Then develop the content in a way that is the most interesting and speaks to your audience(s). Don’t worry about keywords right now. Just make sure you’re telling a good story that demonstrates your knowledge and/or experience and convinces your target audience that you would be the best choice. In other words, write as though the Internet doesn’t exist.
  3. After you have great content, go back and look for places to plug in your keywords. Start with the headline and the first paragraph. Is there a way to work in your most important keyword? Then sprinkle in others throughout the rest of the content. In some cases it may require a bit of rewriting, but often you’ll be surprised at how easily a keyword can be substituted for another word or phrase. Writing in this fashion, rather than trying to write to the keywords initially, will help the keywords fit more organically, and will keep you from writing dull and, well, robotic content.
  4. Finally, when you think it’s ready to go have someone who hasn’t been involved in the process read it to ensure those keywords are fitting in as well as you think they are. Taking this extra step doesn’t just help with human readers, by the way. With the sophisticated machine learning many search engines are applying these days it will also help minimize any appearance that you’re trying to “game” the system. Instead, your keywords will fit in the context of your content, and you will be rewarded by Google, the Great and Powerful.

Walk the line

Great content and SEO don’t have to be treated as opposing forces. In fact, they can (and should) work very well together.

By focusing first on what you want to say, and then bringing in the flags that will help that great content get seen, you can bring customers and prospects to your website and make sure they’re delighted once they get there.

TransformativeMed Engages Amendola For Strategic Public Relations and Content Marketing Services

Healthcare agency to increase awareness of solutions to combat physician burnout; return joy to the practice of medicine

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 17, 2019 Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and health IT public relations and marketing firm, announced that TransformativeMed has engaged the agency to provide strategic PR and content marketing services.

TransformativeMed, located in Seattle, provides apps embedded inside the EHR, which have proven to enhance workflow and clinician efficiency and makes the EHR usable thereby helping to reduce physician stress and burnout. The company believes that EHRs and disjointed technology have led to increased instances of physician burnout, but with the right tools and technology, joy can be brought back to the practice of medicine for clinicians.

The company’s Core Workflow Suite standardizes and streamlines the EHR user interface, with specialty-specific and disease-specific workflows. Clinical data, which is often scattered throughout the EHR, is organized and presented to providers in the way they prefer, empowering them to make decisions faster, handoff patient cases more efficiently and receive critical updates about patient progress.

“TransformativeMed has put a lot of time and development into their EHR solutions and what they offer to the clinicians at hospitals and health systems across the world,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “We are incredibly happy to be partnering with them in their mission of making clinicians happy with their EHRs and their ability to therefore provide better patient care”•and Amendola has the industry contacts and resources to help them firmly plant their message in the market.”

TransformativeMed also extends the reach of the EHR to the clinician’s mobile device so they have accurate, relevant patient information wherever they are. With secure messaging and notifications powered by artificial intelligence, communications across the care team are harmonized and always in sync.

“We believe that happy clinicians provide better care and we also believe that the EHR should work the way providers always thought it would,” said Doug Cusick, CEO of TransformativeMed. “We are excited because we know Amendola can help us spread the word that there is actually a cure for the EHR usability problem. Our leadership team has worked successfully with Amendola in the past, so partnering with Amendola was a natural next step in our growth journey.”

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About Amendola

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 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 TransformativeMed

TransformativeMed dramatically improves the usability of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), with specialty-specific and disease-specific workflows, which are embedded within the EHR. The Core Work Manager and Core Diabetes App securely synchronize clinical workflow, tasks, alerts, notifications and messages to harmonize the care team and create seamless communication across clinicians, using any device, including mobile. With TransformativeMed, clinicians are happier and clinical work is streamlined, more efficient, less costly and safer. Learn more at TransformativeMed.com.

Media Contact:

Christopher Currington

Amendola Communications

ccurrington@acmarketingpr.com

314.799.1987

Amendola Communications Wins “Campaign of the Year” in Business Intelligence Group 2019 Public Relations and Marketing Excellence Awards Competition

Agency earns top honors for its “unicorn” campaign positioning client Health Catalyst for a successful initial public offering

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Nov. 21, 2019 Amendola Communications continues its award-winning momentum with today’s announcement that it earned the “Campaign of the Year” honors in the Business Intelligence Group’s (BIG) 2019 Public Relations and Marketing Excellence Awards for its “unicorn” public relations and content campaign for client Health Catalyst. (A “unicorn” is a privately held company valued at more than $1 billion.) The organization, one of the public relations (PR) and marketing agencies for healthcare and health IT which recently celebrated its Sweet 16 anniversary, received this honor after recently taking two Gold Awards and an Honorable Mention in the 2019 MarCom Awards.

The Health Catalyst campaign, “Revealing a Unicorn: Health Catalyst Joins the $1 Billion Club,” was created to help the client broaden the traditional scope of its PR and content program. Rather than being 100 percent focused on urging more health systems to consider adopting the company’s Late-Binding Enterprise Data Warehouse and shortening the sales cycle, the program expanded to helping Health Catalyst acquire an infusion of working capital through an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

The entry details how Amendola launched a multi-pronged PR and content strategy. Amendola began setting up interviews between company officials and reporters/editors that cover the investor sector. At the same time, it continued and expanded Health Catalyst’s award-winning customer success stories program, pitched interviews with company executives who could educate healthcare leaders on general healthcare trends and timely topics, developed and pitched press releases and set up meetings with key general and healthcare-specific analyst groups. These efforts enable Amendola to snare 19 interview opportunities, produce 18 press releases, create six customer success stories and deliver three byline articles. Amendola also wrote and submitted seven speaker abstracts and six award entries in six months, all of which helped lead to a successful IPO in July 2019.

“When we began with Health Catalyst they were just a small start-up with a great idea, so earning an award for a PR and content program that helped them reach “unicorn’ status is particularly gratifying,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “Yet there’s also some irony in the fact that the program we developed for them is anything but a unicorn. It’s actually typical of the level of quality and dedication we give to every account, helping them address their PR and marketing needs and grow their businesses. I am proud of our entire team and the great work they do every day, so it’s nice to see some of that work recognized and rewarded by BIG.”

The BIG Public Relations and Marketing Excellence Awards was launched in 2014 to reward public relations agencies, departments and people whose work delivered exceptional performance and innovative approaches. They are designed to reward and recognize those individuals and organizations who largely go unrecognized for helping to build great brands and products of world-class organizations.

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 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
Amendola Communications
mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com  
Ph: 480.664.8412 ext. 15

Amendola Communications Earns Triple Honors in 2019 MarCom Awards

Agency receives high marks for Medicomp Systems integrated marketing, Lumeris and Health Catalyst public relations programs

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Nov. 4, 2019 Amendola Communications proved once again why it is one of the top public relations (PR) and marketing agencies for healthcare and health IT by earning Gold for two programs in two categories as well as an Honorable Mention for another in the 2019 MarCom Awards, an international competition for marketing and communication professionals. The agency, which recently celebrated its Sweet 16 anniversary, received a Gold award for integrated marketing for its client Medicomp Systems, a Gold award for public relations for Lumeris, and Honorable Mention for its PR program for Health Catalyst.

MEDICOMP SYSTEMS
“Amendola Increases Brand Awareness and Lead Gen for Medicomp Systems” was a Gold Winner in the Marketing/Promotion Campaign, Integrated Marketing category. The entry described how Amendola helped Medicomp Systems elevate its market presence and visibility as a thought leader with must-have solutions. The program centered around Medicomp Systems’ solutions, which are co-designed with physicians to transform the disorganized, complex arrays of medical information possessed by hospitals and health systems into structured, clinically relevant data delivered at the point of care.

Medicomp Systems’ solutions solve a major pain point for healthcare organizations frustrated by the difficulty of obtaining usable information from their electronic health records (EHRs). Playing off of that, Amendola developed simple, succinct messaging built on the theme “We fix EHRs where they hurt.” The agency then developed an integrated campaign that combined data sheets, eBooks, print ads, infographics, email blasts, trade show booth graphics, Jumbo-Tron displays and a website overhaul with a comprehensive PR program that delivered more than 25 media mentions, and 20 media interviews.

LUMERIS
Also winning Gold, this time in the Communications/Public Relations, Public Relations Program category, was “Lumeris Takes Advantage of Medicare Advantage Plans with Mutual of Omaha.” This program focused on promoting how Lumeris, a company that helps health systems, providers and health plans deliver value-based care and improve outcomes through population health management, was now collaborating with Mutual of Omaha across the country on the launch of its new Medicare Advantage plans, a fast-growing segment of the health insurance market.

Amendola created and executed a strategic and comprehensive PR program that included content creation, media relations, messaging through social media channels and paid digital advertising. The integrated program was designed not only to deliver specific support to Mutual of Omaha’s plans but also to increase the industry’s awareness that Lumeris is the must-have partner for organizations transitioning to value-based care. The program resulted in multiple interview opportunities for Lumeris, Mutual of Omaha and its customers, including 23 media interviews and Q&As in the first six months.

Additionally, within the first 24 months Amendola researched, drafted and distributed more than 25 separate press releases. The agency’s social media expertise resulted in dramatic increases in click-through rates for pay-per-click advertising, sponsored content, Outbrain and similar programs while reducing the cost-per-click significantly. Amendola also organized a webinar and created scripts for two Medicare Advantage-themed videos for the Lumeris website, created and executed a survey of health system leaders to gauge industry awareness and perceptions of Medicare Advantage plans, and developed an infographic highlighting the results.

HEALTH CATALYST
Amendola earned an Honorable Mention in the Communications/Public Relations, Public Relations Program category for “Revealing a Unicorn: Health Catalyst Joins the $1 Billion Club.” The program describes how Amendola helped Health Catalyst shift gears in 2019 from a focus on encouraging more health systems to look into the company’s unique Late-Binding Enterprise Data Warehouse and shortening the sales cycle, the agency was also asked to help Health Catalyst acquire an infusion of working capital through an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

To meet this need, Amendola embarked on a multi-pronged PR and content strategy that began with setting up interviews between company officials and reporters/editors in investor public relations. The strategy also included a continuation and expansion of the company’s award-winning customer success stories program, pitching interviews with company executives to educate healthcare leaders about general trends and timely topics, developing and pitching press releases and setting up meetings with key general and healthcare-specific analyst groups. In all, Amendola secured 19 interview opportunities, produced 18 press releases, six customer stories and three byline articles. It also created and submitted seven speaker abstracts and six award entries in six months, all of which helped lead to a successful IPO in July, 2019.

“While our main focus is always on delivering outstanding results for our clients, it’s also nice to be fated for those efforts by our peers,” said Jodi Amendola, CEO of Amendola Communications. “Our account teams work hard to develop creative, effective programs that help our clients stand out in the noisy, crowded healthcare field. These are just two of many examples. We are proud to accept these awards, and thank the judges for recognizing the quality of our work in integrated marketing and PR.”

Media Contact:
Marcia Rhodes
Amendola Communications
mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com  
Ph: 480.664.8412 ext. 15

TAGNOS engages Amendola for strategic public relations and content marketing services

Healthcare agency to elevate awareness programs for “care traffic control” and the orchestration of clinical logistics automation

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 22, 2019 Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and health IT public relations and marketing firm, announced that TAGNOS has hired the agency to provide strategic PR and content marketing services.

TAGNOS, located in Aliso Viejo, Calif., develops leading clinical logistics automation for hospitals and clinics. TAGNOS’ software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform is designed to orchestrate hospital workflows by infusing AI and machine learning into the practice of medicine to improve the patient experience, reduce wait times, improve staff efficiency and optimize supply and equipment utilization.   

Amendola Communications CEO Jodi Amendola said: “TAGNOS offers a unique and proven clinical logistics automation solution that can be used in hospital and medical systems nationwide, with the potential to expand in other outpatient and emergency settings. We are looking forward to helping them expand their industry awareness and lead generation capabilities through valuable, strategic PR and marketing communications.”

Specific to operating rooms (ORs), the patented TAGNOS OR workflow solution aggregates and analyzes data from radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on patient wristbands, as well as information from hospital systems, to provide real-time insights into patient journeys through the surgical suite. According to TAGNOS, with its OR solution, hospital systems can realize a reduction of more than 12% in OR turnover times.

For emergency departments (EDs), TAGNOS ED workflow solution uses a machine-learning and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven application and location data to smooth unpredictable settings by making sense of patients and data, providing unified workflows, and improving team communication.

The solution is also used for hospital and medical center enterprise-wide asset tracking, allowing clinical personnel and staff to find needed equipment without unnecessary footsteps.  

Insights are communicated via the TAGNOS app to OR/ED teams’ handheld devices, eliminating the need for other time-consuming activities such as telephone calls, computer logins or physically tracking down team members.

“We were drawn to Amendola’s expertise in healthcare and health IT as well as their insider perspective based on the team’s work with major health systems,” said Neeraj Bhavani, CEO and founder of TAGNOS. “Amendola’s media and analyst relationships as well as their industry accolades for their strategic approach to PR and marketing are already bringing us results. Our relationship will enhance TAGNOS’ ability to spread the word about our proven solutions for orchestrating healthcare delivery.”

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About TAGNOS

TAGNOS is the clinical logistics automation solution healthcare teams use to orchestrate the functional aspects of care delivery.  Our company offers a wide range of products and services designed to support OR and ED patient flow as well as asset and supply management. TAGNOS is the only company with an AI application that uses machine learning combined with real-time data capturing capabilities to provide a system that continually updates and adjusts its operational intelligence to provide sustained improvement. Our system is configurable with custom notification and escalation workflows and flexible communication options including iOS or Android app, SMS or integration with existing mobile platforms. By transforming raw data into actionable intelligence, TAGNOS helps hospitals and health systems Orchestrate Excellence.  For more information visit tagnos.com, or follow on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Media contact:
Chris Currington
Amendola Communications
314.799.1987
ccurrington@acmarketingpr.com

Amendola Celebrates 16 Years of Shining the Light on the Best Brands in Healthcare Technology

Industry’s top public relations and marketing agency commemorates anniversary with $100,000 in-kind donation to the Help In Healing Home Foundation

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Oct. 10, 2019 As the healthcare industry makes a generational shift to preventive, value-based care, one public relations and marketing agency more than any other has helped promote the visionary organizations driving this significant change. Amendola Communications, an award-winning full-service, data-driven marketing and PR agency, is proud to announce its “Sweet 16” anniversary year in business.

Healthcare is the top economic driver in the United States and increasingly around the world. The global market for preventive healthcare technologies and services alone is expected to reach $432 billion by 2024, according to evaluations from Grand View Research. Amendola has added dozens of companies from the sector to its client roster, and presently serves over 50 healthcare and healthcare IT clients. In 2018, Amendola ranked 3rd largest agency in the Phoenix Business Journal’s “Largest Phoenix-Area Public Relations Firms.”

“I often marvel that we started out with just a handful of employees and customers, and here we are today as the top agency in our industry with over 50 accounts; most of whom are full-service clients. That is the power of hard work and dedication and a true reflection of the talented team here at Amendola,” said Jodi Amendola, the agency’s CEO.

Giving back to the healthcare community

In honor of its 16th anniversary, Amendola Communications is making a $100,000 in-kind donation to the Help In Healing Home Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides an affordable “home away from home” to recuperating patients and their families.

“We feel so fortunate to be in a position to use our healthcare marketing and PR expertise for such a compassionate cause. I strongly believe in giving back, especially to patients and the healthcare profession that cares for them. They are the motivation driving everything our clients do,” Amendola added.

16 years of promoting breakthrough companies

Amendola helped put some of the most important healthcare and healthcare technology companies on the map, from early stage startups to publicly-traded companies. By extension, this has expanded the recognition and use of predictive analytics, machine learning, automated communication between providers and payers, integrated healthcare coordination, air medical transport, evidenced-based chiropractic care, and many, many other impactful solutions.

“Amendola has been our full-service agency partner for three years now. They understand our messaging and how to approach the market in many cases better than we do,” said David Lareau, CEO of Medicomp.

He continued, “I chalk up our public relations and marketing success to two factors. One, Amendola knows the healthcare and healthcare IT industries inside out and delivers the media results and marketing creativity to prove it. Two, and just as important, the agency is a true believer in our own mission to upend the status quo.”

JaeLynn Williams, executive vice president at Air Methods, also weighed in. “A year with Amendola exceeded our expectations. We were just starting to build out our marketing and communications team and Amendola really helped us bridge key gaps as that team came on board,” explained Williams.

She continued, “While we were looking for a PR partner, what we got was a group who today helps us with our PR, social media, digital marketing, content marketing and has also helped us with messaging and crisis communications. Amendola is an excellent complement to our new marketing team.”

Jay Deady, CEO of Recondo Technology, said Amendola is his go-to PR agency for healthcare technology. “The agency has worked with me at three different companies now. For Recondo Technology, Amendola’s extensive media relationships and relentless focus on getting meaningful media opportunities for us has kept our message well ahead of the competition’s for years,” Deady noted.

Another client, Leslie Falk, senior vice president at Health Catalyst, explained why Amendola has been one of the company’s trusted communications agencies for more than seven years. “Our Amendola team has extensive PR and marcom expertise. They are wise, responsible and innovative; and committed to the success of our clients and our organization,” said Falk.

Every year, Amendola helps its clients amass billions in media impressions, securing placements in top-tier trade and national publications that span from Healthcare IT News, Becker’s Hospital Review, STAT, Modern Healthcare, and Healthcare-Informatics, to USA Today, the New York Times, WSJ, The Hill, Barron’s, Harvard Business Review and countless others.

In addition to PR, the agency offers full-service programs that include digital and content marketing, lead generation and sales enablement, social media, branding, crisis management and design/marketing communications.

Industry recognition

Along with client accolades, the agency has picked up plenty of awards over the years, including from PRNews, Bulldog Reporter and PRSourceCode. The agency has also garnered considerable recognition from the industry and top editors and reporters. Last year, PR News named Amendola CEO Jodi Amendola one of the Top Women in PR, while giving the agency an honorable mention in the Platinum Awards for content marketing work for Health Catalyst. Other honorable mentions in the category included Coca-Cola, Liquid Plum-R and Johnson & Johnson.
“I’ve worked quite a bit with Amendola staff over the past 15 years and I must say they are professional, thorough, helpful, and will go far out of their way to get me everything I need to help put together a good story,” affirmed Bill Siwicki, managing editor of Healthcare IT News.

Help In Healing Home Fundraiser
Amendola encourages its friends and colleagues in the healthcare industry to support Help In Healing Home. Learn more at www.helpinhealinghome.org. Those in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area can meet organization officials at its Nov. 4 Community Breakfast Fundraiser. Register for tickets at https://www.classy.org/event/community-breakfast-2019/e237208.

Media Contact:
Marcia Rhodes
Amendola Communications
mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com
Ph: 480.664.8412 ext. 15