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Background
The African American experience in America has left many of them mistrustful of mainstream institutions/providers who are members of the dominant culture. While studies show that this community is receptive to DTC advertising, there are gaps in the healthcare delivery system and many at-risk patients never receive treatment.

This suggests that a distinct need exists for an alternate, targeted program that can help motivate African Americans toward self-healthcare awareness and caregiving.

To address this problem, Roska Healthcare Advertising, in partnership with Healthy National Network (HNN) and Impact Health, recently formed the "Multi-cultural Outreach Initiative" to improve the disease awareness of African Americans and other minorities. This targeted program involves a unique 'push/pull' strategy that brings together key physician opinion leaders, faith-based organizations and targeted media to improve the health of minorities in their communities, and the pharmaceutical manufacturers who are partnering in this important initiative.

Jay Bolling
Jay Bolling is president of Roska Healthcare, where he is responsible for directing the agency's overall highly targeted professional and DTC/DTP campaigns for their clients. Having spent 20+ years overseeing programs in the pharmaceutical and healthcare markets, Jay is a recognized thought leader in consumer, physician, managed care, and retail pharmacy channels. His strategic vision and expertise in targeted communications easily place him at the forefront of today's pharmaceutical marketers.

David Comey
David Comey has over 30 years experience in healthcare leadership. Immediately prior to founding Healthy National Network, Mr. Comey created Impact Health; Inc. which included proprietary technology for point-of-care screenings and clinical testing, healthcare and pharmaceutical data management tools, and product marketing applications for specific disease states. In his current capacity. Mr. Comey leads HNN as an organization that connects "healthy messages" with targeted populations with channels that include: African American Healthy Network, Latino Healthy Network, and the Cardiology Healthy Network (general market).

• How do you target the right population?
• How do you enlist physicians and ministers to work together?
• What are the organizations and skills brought together in this initiative?
• What are you doing to get pharmaceutical companies involved?

Additional Resources

Targeted Faith-based Disease Awareness Marketing

SUMMARY

This article describes a new health awareness initiative intended to reach African Americans via churches and health ministries in an effort to alert this community to their heightened risk for life-threatening conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and much more.

Topics and issues covered include:

• A Multi-cultural Outreach Initiative
• Pulpit and Physician Together
• Program Components
• Keeping Physicians in the Flock
• Focus on Women as Keepers of Health
• Mega Church Cascade Effect