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NEW YORK (March 29, 2005) - The Health Academy of
the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) will present its 16th
annual strategy and issues Conference for health care PR professionals,
May 4-6, 2005, at the Wyndham City Center in Washington, D.C.
"Rebuilding Public Confidence in the Health Care Industry" is the theme
for this year's Conference. Bill Griffeth, co-host of CNBC's "Power
Lunch," will moderate the kick-off roundtable session with a diverse
group of senior communicators and other executives from Pfizer,
Genentech, American Hospital Association (AHA), National Institutes of
Health (NIH), among others.
"It is time for professional communicators to take a stand and
define our responsibility in rebuilding confidence in the health care
industry in America,” said Michael Roth, chair of PRSA’s Health
Academy. "There is a tremendous disconnect between public perception of
the health care industry and the truth behind our daily work lives.
While we are proud to be part of an innovative profession that strives
to care for and save human lives, negative media attention is having an
increasingly adverse impact on the way we do business." Delivering the Conference's keynote address will be Dr. Bernadine
Healy, former director of the NIH and former head of the American Red
Cross. She currently serves as a US News & World Report
columnist and a television correspondent. Healy will share her wisdom
on the latest trends and issues affecting the health care industry and
insights into the Conference theme. A Q-and-A session follows her talk.
The Conference includes a half-day seminar May 4 at the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the government's principal agency
for protecting the health of American citizens and providing essential
human services. DHHS comprises 12 agencies, including the NIH, the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medical Services
(CMS). Speakers from each of these key agencies will be on hand for
this off-site session.
Other Conference highlights include:
- "The Obesity Epidemic and the Role of Communications," a panel
discussion moderated by Rea Blakey, president, TV Talks, featuring
Terri K. Capatosto, vice president, U.S. communications and customer
satisfaction, McDonald's, Kevin Keane, assistant secretary, public
affairs, DHHS, Mike Meyerheim, a motivational speaker who successfully
lost 195 pounds, and Michael H. Samuelson, vice president, health &
wellness division, BlueCross BlueShield of Rhode Island.
- "Making Quality in Health care Meaningful" - a two-part series
that addresses the context and rationale from those setting the
standards and the impact on quality measures in the consumer area.
- "Meet the Health care Media," featuring writers from BusinessWeek, The Washington Post, Scrip and The National Journal.
For Conference registration information, call 800-350-0111 or visit www.healthacademy.prsa.org. For more information about the program, contact Alissa Marisch at 212-460-1461 or alissa.marisch@prsa.org.
About The Health Academy
The 900-member Health
Academy is a Professional Interest Section of the Public Relations
Society of America. Its members are mid- to senior-level public
relations practitioners representing a broad spectrum of health care
organizations such as hospitals and health systems, medical societies,
long-term care providers, insurers, managed care organizations, biotech
and medical device manufacturers, alternative medicine providers,
pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and public relations
firms with health care practices.
About the Public Relations Society of America
The Public Relations Society of America (www.prsa.org),
based in New York City, is the world's largest organization for public
relations professionals. The Society has more than 28,000 professional
and student members. PRSA is organized into 114 Chapters nationwide, 19
Professional Interest Sections, along with Affinity Groups, which
represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent
practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools,
professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public
Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has 255 Chapters at
colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Conference:
Alissa Marisch
212-460-1461
alissa.marisch@prsa.org
Media Contact:
Cedric L. Bess
(212) 460-1495
cedric.bess@prsa.org |
