LaVoieHealthScience: Boston Health Comms Agency Since 2001

LaVoieHealthScience is a Boston health and science communications agency founded in 2001 and led by Donna L. LaVoie. Known as LHS, it provides public relations, investor relations, corporate communications and marketing for biotech, pharma, medical technology and government health clients. Lisa DeScenza became president in January 2026.

Company Info

• Founded: 2001, in Boston, per O'Dwyer's
• Legal name: LaVoie Strategic Communications Group, Inc., doing business as LaVoieHealthScience
• Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, with a New York presence cited in company releases
• Leadership: Donna L. LaVoie, president and CEO in releases through 2025; Lisa DeScenza, president since January 2026
• Ownership: Privately held, described in a 2023 release as an Inc. 5000 Hall of Fame private company; it has a strategic alliance with Omnicom Public Relations Group
• Specialty: Public relations, investor relations, corporate communications and marketing for health, life science and government organizations
• Notable Clients: O'Dwyer's lists engagements with Life Sciences Corridor, Xontogeny LLC and Iota BioSciences
• Website: lavoiehealthscience.com
• Last verified: October 20, 2026 (checked against Business Wire, Agility PR Solutions, BioSpace and the O'Dwyer's firm database)

Updated October 20, 2026.

What is LaVoieHealthScience?

LaVoieHealthScience is a Boston strategic communications and marketing agency serving health, science and government organizations. In a January 2026 release it described itself as a leading strategic communications and marketing agency in those fields.

Its 2025 boilerplate lists strategic positioning, public relations and marketing, investor relations, corporate communications, event management, and digital and creative services. The mix of investor and public relations under one roof is the agency's distinguishing feature, since many health communications firms concentrate on product and patient audiences rather than capital markets.

Who founded LaVoieHealthScience and when?

LaVoieHealthScience was founded in Boston in 2001, per the O'Dwyer's firm database. Donna L. LaVoie has led it as president and CEO, and a 2019 release quoted her marking the firm's eighteenth year.

LaVoie has also been a fixture at the BIO International Convention. A May 2025 release says she led a workshop there on building presentations for investors and strategic partners for 17 years. The agency's boilerplate adds that it has won more than 50 public relations and investor relations awards, developed more than 325 communications plans and doubled in size since 2017, per CityBiz.

Who leads LaVoieHealthScience?

Donna L. LaVoie leads the agency alongside president Lisa DeScenza, whom the firm promoted in January 2026. The release said DeScenza would oversee the Boston office and support operational excellence, client service and resource alignment, and framed the change as formalizing a collaborative operating model that had evolved over time.

DeScenza joined the firm in 2012, per a 2021 release. Other recent senior hires include Katie Dodge, named senior vice president and general manager of the Boston headquarters in February 2024, and Nina Gill, added as senior vice president for public relations and communications in April 2025.

Which clients and sectors does LaVoieHealthScience serve?

LaVoieHealthScience serves public and private life science and health companies, along with government agencies. A 2019 release announcing eight new clients named cell, stem and gene therapy, CNS, rare disease, oncology, cardiovascular and retinopathy, as well as life science service providers.

The O'Dwyer's database entry reports engagements with Life Sciences Corridor, a partnership among five Greater Boston cities, and with the life science accelerator Xontogeny LLC and electroceutical company Iota BioSciences. In May 2024 the agency won Best Pharma Product Launch at the PRWeek Healthcare Awards.

What services does LaVoieHealthScience offer?

LaVoieHealthScience offers public relations, investor relations, corporate communications, marketing, event management and digital services. In April 2023 it launched an Emerging Health Convergence Practice offering right-sized investor and public relations plans in three tiers, matched to a company's stage of development.

The firm also cites a trademarked messaging methodology called LHS Immersion, which its CEO described in a 2022 release as a messaging and market-shaping platform. Through its alliance with Omnicom Public Relations Group, announced in January 2020, it can draw on a wider set of health teams, per the O'Dwyer's listing.

How does LaVoieHealthScience compare with other healthcare PR firms?

LaVoieHealthScience is a mid-size independent that pairs health communications with investor relations. EPR profiles related healthcare firms including Spectrum Science, Real Chemistry, IMRE and Havas Health & You.