Gabriel Perna

The PR/Communications playing field is constantly evolving but these past few years have felt as if change has come at an accelerated rate. Especially in healthcare. I was curious as to what my colleagues in Communications, Engagement & Change at IWK Health were looking forward to (or dreading) in 2025. Becky Chapman, specialist, is interested in seeing what new ways we can use analytics and digital tools to better engage with those that aren’t desk-based. “The majority of our work force do much of their work away from computers so we need to make sure we’re talking to them in ways they can receive. We’ve talked about ways to communicate more through mobile and I think there’s a real opportunity there!” Kate Evely, specialist, is excited to share more progress updates about the new IWK Emergency Department as the project hits exciting milestones this year. “I’m also looking forward to improving IWK’s town hall meetings so that they better serve staff in an engaging and informative way.” “I think this year is going to be big for in-person communication and events, especially in healthcare. 2025 could re-introduce the pre-pandemic desire to communicate face-to-face and host more events in-person.” Kristen Lipscombe, senior advisor is planning on continuing to foster new relationships. “Over the past year or so, I’ve been learning from communicators who are newer to the industry, with their new perspectives, valuable insights and impressive talents using newer technology, so I look forward to continuing my growth in areas that are “new to me.” Terri Fraser, director, is foreseeing more real engagement and two-way communication. “A toll has been taken on this area since the pandemic and I think it’s foundational to any strong communication strategy. Throughout my career the projects that have been the most rewarding and successful were built on listening, trust and fostering relationships with audiences and partners.” Carole Bell, executive assistant, is anticipating supporting the team in working smarter, not harder. “I’m also excited to keep growing in my role and contributing to meaningful projects that make a real impact.” Darius Graff, digital and creative design, is interested in seeing how Google AI search results develop and whether we can control or affect it by tweaking website content etc. and how that can be monitored and measured. Darrian Thorne, senior advisor is looking forward to seeing more innovation and creative ideas from a communications perspective. “Achieving this will require continued collaboration and a shared commitment to making a difference through impactful messaging and meaningful support for families.” Andrea Slaney media relations specialist laments a dwindling media presence. “The media market will continue to decrease to the detriment of those wanting to get accurate health information out to the public and those relying on that precious resource.”

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This upcoming webinar from The Association of Health Care Journalists promises to be informative and helpful for anyone looking to learn more about health care costs

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🚨👇𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄: **CCOs are getting a seat at the C-suite table** Elevating the role of communicators is something many of us have been focused on for years. As Dustin Siggins shares in this article that has been happening more frequently, which is a very good thing. However, elevating the role of chief communication officers also comes with new expectations for how those leaders operate within an organization and deliver results. I added my perspective on this topic along with Stephanie Roberts, Jeremy Tunis, Jeff Berkowitz and Nick Lagalante, MPS. Check it out! #communications #pr

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I'm trying something new and I'd appreciate your help. 🙏🏻🙂 Somewhere out there, amazing healthcare comms agencies are looking for evidence-based strategies to drive action for their clients. I want to meet them. We’ve had incredibly successful agency partnerships in other industries. I’m looking to replicate this success with similar agencies in healthcare. I know we can help them meet their objectives. After all, Exaltus specializes in transforming complex healthcare information into engaging visual stories that not only inform but drive action. And we have the evidence to prove it. 🔍 An independent study highlights the impact of our approach: - Over 90% of viewers felt motivated to act - 85% showed a significant increase in knowledge - Viewer self-efficacy more than doubled! Are you connected to healthcare comms agency professionals who would love to deliver these results to their clients and help improve patient outcomes? I'd be grateful for an introduction. Here are a few ways you could do it: - Tag a contact in the comments - DM me - Share this post with them, or with your network as a whole The video below will give them a quick overview of what we're about. Thanks so much! 🙏🏻 Carole #HealthcareCommunications #VisualStorytelling #WhiteboardAnimation #HealthcareMarketing

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As RFK Jr. takes the reins at HHS, 2025 could mark a pivotal year for health communications. In an era where public health narratives are shaped often by platforms like TikTok rather than by the CDC, the need for science-backed education has never been greater. Patients are increasingly using social media to self-educate, which makes clear, compelling, and evidence-driven storytelling critical. And yes, some of this will be from corporations/brands but at the end of the day we will have to lean on trusted voices. I see certified physicians and patient-led communities playing hero roles in bridging the gap between credible data and accessible communication. Companies like MedFluencers and Savvy Cooperative are already leading the charge, proving that health literacy and authenticity can coexist on these platforms. With rare disease communities already demonstrating how empowered, knowledgeable patients can drive better outcomes, could this become the evolving model for all healthcare communications?

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This is important for #communications pros and our subject matter experts to remember. An interview is a conversation not a rote question asked, prepared answer given. Using talking points rather than scripted answers is more effective for a SME and makes for a better interview. Unfortunately that path isn’t taken as often as it should be.

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What if my company’s spokesperson is a scientist or a physician; how can they most effectively tell our story to a layperson audience? This is a common question in healthcare communications. Being a great storyteller requires genuine connection, and those can be challenging to catalyze if the audience doesn’t perceive the speaker as relatable, or “someone like them”. The imperative for the scientist/speaker is to find balance in their language, so that the scientific rigor is preserved, but the meaning and context doesn’t go over the heads of the audience. Communications leaders can help spokespeople consider who the audience is, and importantly, what THEY expect to take away from the presentation, as meeting the needs of the audience is the primary objective. A layperson audience will require different context than the speaker’s peers, so an assessment of audience and purpose is a key first step in ensuring the speaker’s story resonates. 

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>>>> 81% of surveyed physicians say corporate reputation influences their perception of medicine value at least moderately. (I can't get 81% of my family to agree to a pizza topping, so this is a staggering number!) Our latest #WEBrandsinMotion health report, "Reputation Rules: Unlocking Physician Prescribing Power," has a TON of fascinating, actionable takeaways for pharmaceutical companies, like the stat above. The full #ReputationRules report is at this link and is very much worth your time: https://lnkd.in/g3VcQzJv Kudos to my WE Communications Global Health colleagues on this powerful report!

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👇📢 PR and communication pros: **DO NOT write anything YOU wouldn’t read.** ☝💯 That advice came up in a webinar yesterday. I think it’s spot on. Even when writing about subjects that might not personally interest us, we can ensure that our copy is: - Clear - Lively - Informative - Neither too long nor too short If it’s painful or boring for you to read what you wrote, odds are your audience will feel the same way. That's a great signal to edit what you're working on. Or maybe even throw it out and do something else! #writing #communications #pr #publicrelations

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Worth reading from NiemanLab: Readers prefer to click on a clear, simple headline — like this one By David Markowitz, Hillary Shulman and Todd Rogers In an era when people trust news less than ever, how can journalists break through and attract the attention of average people to provide information about their communities, the nation and the world? By not complicating things. Our research, published in Science Advances, shows that simple headlines significantly increase article engagement and clicks compared with headlines that use complex language. In our research, typical news readers preferred simple headlines over complex ones. But importantly, we found that those who actually write headlines — journalists themselves — did not. We first used data from The Washington Post and Upworthy to see how language features, such as word length and how common a word is, changed how many people clicked on an article’s headline. These datasets included over 31,000 randomized experiments — also known as A/B tests — that compared two or more headline versions of the same underlying article to determine which one generated the most clicks. Headlines with more common words — simple words like “job” instead of “occupation” — shorter headlines, and those communicated in a narrative style, with more pronouns compared with prepositions, received more clicks. For example, The Washington Post headline, “Meghan and Harry are talking to Oprah. Here’s why they shouldn’t say too much” outperformed the alternative headline, “Are Meghan and Harry spilling royal tea to Oprah? Don’t bet on it.” This example illustrates how sometimes a more straightforward headline can generate more interest. In follow-up laboratory experiments, we found that typical news readers focused more on simple rather than complex headlines because the writing was easier to understand. When journalists participated in the same experiments, they didn’t show any preference for simple headlines over complex ones. Put differently: Those who write the news appear to be less responsive to simple writing than regular audiences. Generations of communication consultants have advised that communicators follow the rather crass acronym KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid. We suggest a modified version applied for journalists. Since KISJ isn’t all that simple, we propose: Keep It Simple, Staffers. Simplicity increases the number of people who click on a news story headline and improves reader recall of the material in the article. Most importantly, simplicity boosts reader engagement, such as how much attention they pay to the information.

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Is Your Data-Driven Story Memorable? Reporters are bombarded with data, but are we, as PR pros, making it useful for them? What if the next campaign turned the data into a video discussion with a PI about the study’s relevance to scientific exchange and clinical practice? Or how about an interactive science writer’s guide, overlaying disease education with brand science? Whatever you do to tell a story with your data, remember this: data sticks with audiences when it engages. It sticks around even longer when it’s shareable. #Storytelling #PublicRelations #HealthcarePR #MediaRelations

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Calling all healthcare communications professionals! 📢 The MikeWorldWide MWW Health team wants to hear what you think! If you take our survey you will be entered to win a free pair of Apple Airpod Max 🎧. How do you perceive AI, Social Media, Cybersecurity, Crisis Communications, and more? Take this quick 3-minute survey to participate and contribute to your peers across the industry. Your insights matter! #healthcare #communications #AI #SocialMedia #CyberSecurity #CrisisCommunications #survey

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📺The lightning speed at which we see the media landscaping changing is making the jobs of both journalists and public relations pros challenging on the best days. Public relations experts are being forced to rethink earned media strategies. The common response from media organizations to many pitches is "we are short staffed." 📰So, how can you help tell your story? I think the key is understanding how "your story" is really "their (media) story." It's imperative for public relations folks to understand the demands on today's media professionals. It's important to understand what their daily editorial needs and pressure are (and they do change daily.) If you can anticipate this, you can craft a winning strategy. 📻"Newsjacking" may be the new buzz word, but it's really a tried and true practice that requires daily discipline. 1. Tie your messages to stories that are at the top of the news cycle. Don't assume the media will make the connection. 2. Deliver your message with real value (if you try to fake it, you will lose credibility and cost yourself future appearances.) 3. Make yourself available when the media is willing to interview you (You only get on the media merry-go-round on their schedule.) "Newsjacking" creates a real-time, mutually beneficial relationship between the media and your message. Here is an example from Florida Poison Information Center tying their poison prevention message to a CDC warning about online pharmacies. https://lnkd.in/edPGpRwC

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If I could offer only one piece of #digitalPR advice, it’s this: read and consume the news. Pay attention to how journalists write headlines, format articles, and what types of content are popular. By mimicking their style in pitch emails and working hard to get the headline right, we’re helping them visualise the article before they've even started writing it. And it works. Some examples of headlines I’ve noticed recently: 👉 I'm a [expert in xxx], this is why you [should/shouldn't] do [XYZ] 👉 A top [expert] reveals the mistakes we're all making with [XXX] 👉 A [xxx expert] weighs in on [viral trend] We’ve used this approach to land coverage and links for brands across health, finance, and food. A great example? The Prosecco Smile piece for our dentistry client The Neem Tree where Meg Granville took a seasonal trend (🍾) and applied this exact technique. By aligning your pitch with what journalists are already publishing, you make their lives easier and boost your chances of coverage.

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How engaging are your promotions, your #communications, your #PR? Are people tuning IN or tuning OUT? Here’s what happens when you don’t connect w/your #stakeholders: https://lnkd.in/eQsjBf85 #PRtip #WritingTip #MarketingTip

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📢 Public health education is crucial in driving meaningful change and improving health outcomes. In my latest blog post for Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications, I dive into what makes a public health PR campaign truly effective. Hint: Three key components are 1) a multi-channel, multi-language approach, 2) strategic partnerships with trusted figures and organizations, and 3) patient-centric communication. 🌟 #publichealth #healthcarepr

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Healthcare PR/comms pros, there's still a little time to give the MWW Health team your thoughts on topics that include AI, social media, and cybersecurity — you can win a pair of AirPods Max headphones! 🎧 ✅

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Valuable insights from Nicole Schuman for any #communications professional seeking to "measure the value of their work and tell that story to their stakeholders." #CommsForGood

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