Finn Partners, Beckerman PR & More February Public Relations News

Finn Partners shares results from National Survey on Health System

Finn Partners recently posted the results of a National Health System survey showing approximately 50 percent of patients change their health insurance and primary care providers every three years. Also, when pharmacists are willing to share alternative drug recommendations, consumers often trust those suggestions.

The online survey polled 1000 Americans, and one of the bits of information gleaned from their efforts is that consumers put convenience and cost at the top of their lists when it comes to making healthcare choices. This means providers, pharmacists, and others have the opportunity to help consumers with valuable information about effects, costs, and alternatives.

Since so many people change their carriers and doctors frequently, consumers should keep their own medical and drug history details. Doctors and other providers can build a deeper relationship with consumers by making them aware of cost-saving options such as co-pay coupons (including savings cards) offered by pharmaceutical companies to reduce out-of-pocket expenses on medicines. Many of these options do not require household income information. Recommending alternative medications that do essentially the same thing at lower costs is also a good option.

Gil Bashe, managing partner for Finn Partners, said, “Despite the talk, the concept of consumer – in this case, the patient – as king has yet to be realized within the health community. Health professionals, payer, pharma industry, and policy decision makers have a responsibility to be better patient resources. Providing a clearer path for patients to navigate the system may improve outcomes and reduce costs.”

• Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed expect health plans to actively participate on social media answering questions on plan changes, co-pays, and health or wellness information. Celebrities do not seem to be particularly effective in selling coverage – again, it’s all about cost savings and convenience. Full results of the survey are available at http://f-p.us/1PS9JPu.

PadillaCRT to assist the University of Alabama – Birmingham (UAB)

UAB requested PadillaCRT to develop a student recruitment digital marketing campaign. UAB includes a medical center and is a public research university serving approximately 20,000 students and is the third largest public hospital in the U.S.

Padilla’s CEO, Lynn Casey said, “UAB is an outstanding university and a powerful economic engine for the city of Birmingham and the state of Alabama. It’s a time of great energy and momentum for UAB, and we’re thrilled to put our higher-education expertise to work with the campus and community partners to build even stronger connections with prospective students – in-state and beyond.”

Beckerman PR Blog

Last week one of Beckerman PR’s account execs, Shlomo Morgulis, wrote a blog post about the League’s continued decision leaving Pete Rose on the permanently ineligible list. Rose was initially banned in 1989 when it was discovered he frequently gambled on sporting events. It was a huge scandal at the time. Decades later, many feel Rose should be removed from the ineligible list.

What does it really matter you ask? Pete Rose won’t start running the bases again. But it does matter because as long as he’s on the ineligible list, he’s also ineligible for inclusion in Baseball’s Hall of Fame. It’s true there is a morals clause, but many people argue that clause has been ignored many times and for many reasons with players such as Mickey Mantle, Roger Hornsby, and Jimmie Foxx.

Rose was never considered to be a player with huge talents, yet, he always seemed to put his heart and soul into playing the game and batted a career record 4,256 hits – soaring by Ty Cobb’s record, which stood for decades. But despite issues with abuse, alcoholism, and other improprieties by other Hall of Famers, the League considers gambling as probably the worst infraction. Why? Well, as Shlomo reminds their readers, “the thrill of the game of baseball is watching two groups of immensely talented players try to best their opponents. Clearly, while it has overlooked nastiness off the field, baseball can’t tolerate behavior that raises questions about the legitimacy of the efforts and the honor of the game.”