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CASE STUDY

Pfizer Health Solutions Inc. and Washington Business Group on Health
Government Relations and Public Relations Campaign

The Health Care Disparities Initiative is a pilot project to address the disparities in health care in a culturally diverse work force, with particular emphasis on cardiovascular disease. It began in 2002 and is co-sponsored by the Washington Business Group on Health and Pfizer Health Solutions Inc.

The program's goal is to reduce health care disparities caused by differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and disability, as part of Healthy People 2010, a national health promotion and disease prevention program.

The sponsors wanted a forceful introduction for the Initiative, including a high-profile media event held in Washington, D.C. The event was to spotlight the problem and announce the organization's strategy for addressing it. The event would feature elected officials, including a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus, religious and other community leaders, and representatives from public and private health care organizations.

Winning Strategies coordinated all aspects of the March 21, 2002, press conference held in the U.S. Capitol:

Winning Strategies selected and scheduled speakers including Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.); and Reps. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y.; Donald Payne, D-N.J.; and Grace Napolitano, D-Calif..

Before the press conference, Winning Strategies met with each speaker to discuss the issues and then drafted talking points for them.

A media advisory was distributed to television, radio and print contacts before the event.

Winning Strategies coordinated all logistics for the event, including catering, room setup and photo and video arrangements.

The event generated immediate media coverage in The Washington Post and The Hartford Courant and on National Public Radio. Targeted trade magazines and a number of local newspapers serving minority audiences also covered the event. Interviews appeared in The New York Times and The Star-Ledger and on Bloomberg News Service.