PRx Inc - A Leading Silicon Valley Public Relations Agency

A Full Spectrum Week

One of the most gratifying aspects of being in public relations is getting to learn about so many different industries and businesses. Of course, we specialize in healthcare, so there are myriad specialties and sub-specialties to learn about, but looking back at this week I realize that we learned about the semiconductor technology that enabled an entrepreneur to create a personal winery, WinePod, that links to your PC to guide you step-by-step through the process of making a great cabernet sauvignon or syrah or pinot noir.

Then, when Carolyn Johnson of KGO-TV interviewed Dr. John Moran, the SVP of Clinical Affairs for Satellite Healthcare, we got to meet nurses, social workers, dieticians and just plain nice people who were being educated about home self-care and dialysis for renal disease at Satellite’s WellBound facility in Emeryville. It was extraordinary to see the level of compassion and genuine interest in their patients that the nurses showed. One of the patients said he felt like a cow being milked when he went to a competitor’s dialysis center compared to the empowerment and convenience of doing his hemodialysis at home. I was so impressed by the staff at WellBound. The nurse manager, Kim Hadley, said she had never known what job satisfaction was until she came to Satellite. She said, “everyday I walk out of here feeling as if I’ve made a real difference for people who need our help, and feeling how lucky I am to work in an environment that encourages me to find ways to make our patients’ experience better. If I have a suggestion, John doesn’t ask how much will this cost. He asks, what will this do for our patients and what do you need to make it happen?”

Then, when we launched the Oceano Hotel and Spa in Half Moon Bay this Wednesday, it was so wonderful to know that we’re helping an enterprise that truly walks the talk of being “green.” From the motion-sensing thermostats in each room to the environmentally-safe laundry, the hotel sets a new standard for a luxurious getaway on the coast that has the smallest carbon footprint and most energy efficient infrastructure. Look at our Jen Bullock’s photos here.

Then yesterday Larry Gerston and I media trained the head of the VMC emergency department and the deputy medical officer for the Public Health Department. Those who have the responsibility to care for the health and well-being of all residents of Santa Clara County are among the most dedicated, professional and compassionate physicians I’ve ever met. We’re in good hands as a community relying on the safety net healthcare system we have, and it’s almost criminal how much that system has had to cut staff and services to meet the draconian budget cuts the state and federal governments have mandated. In the last seven years, VMC has cut $675 million from its budget, and now the cuts are hitting bone. Our priorities are so skewed, and working people and their families with no insurance are being ignored by the government that should be working on their behalf.

And last night, Pam Kelly introduced the re-cut, revised version of Jimi Simmons’ film “Making the River” at a benefit showing for the Bill Wilson Center at Camera 12. Pam’s love of cinema and keen insight into what makes a satisfying viewing experience helped the film’s director make substantial changes to clarify a complex, real-life murder mystery and show the courage and passion with which Jimi defended himself during a bleak time in the history of American justice.

Just another week in PR paradise.

Working with Junior League of San Jose

The Junior League of San Jose will have its biennial fashion show on February 29. If you’ve never seen this event, please put it in your calendar. Two professional models teach the volunteer models how to move and strike poses. [Press Release]

I was lucky enough to be a judge for the last show in 2006 and will be one again this year.

For the past four years, PRx has worked with Junior League of San Jose as communication advisors and publicists. We have gained media coverage for the biennial Rummage Sale and Fashion Show as well as helped obtain media sponsorships.

It is such a pleasure working with these energetic and committed women who are actively engaged in making their community a better place to live. What’s fun for us is coming up with creative fresh ideas and angles to pitch the media year after year.

For the 2007 Rummage Sale, we pitched the Mercury News on a piece for their style section which featured a Junior League mother with her young daughter posing in clothes that readers would find at the Rummage Sale, which takes place at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds and is billed as “The largest garage sale on earth.” The Mercury loved the idea and the Rummage Sale feature story made the cover of the Style section and an interior page.

For the upcoming 2008 Fashion Show, we thought that the community newspapers would be interested in doing a story on the two professional models who train Junior League members, their husbands and kids to model for the show. We offered access to the Fashion Show training sessions and the professional model trainers. This pitch was enthusiastically received by the Silicon Valley Community Newspapers.

Happy Valentine’s Day

There was a heart-warming little miracle at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center today.
Dorothy is a vital 16-year-old who suffered a traumatic brain injury a month ago when the car in which she was a passenger was hit by a drunk driver.

In a coma, with both jaws broken, her collarbone and left arm fractured, she was airlifted from San Luis Obispo to VMC’s traumatic brain injury rehabilitation unit. After four days she woke up with no memory. Her mother asked for a laptop, and the VMC Foundation’s technology champion, Debbie Burdsall, gave her one of the HP laptops PRx client Dick Alexander had donated to VMC last month.

Dorothy had been an active poster at GaiaOnline.com, writing a complex novel with ten of her friends. Dorothy would write a story line, and her friends would choose one of three endings, determining how the story progressed. In the hospital, Dorothy slowly began to type again, instant messaging her friends who helped her regain memories of what they had done and seen and enjoyed together.

The more she used the computer and the hospital’s WiFi connection, the more brain function she recovered. Her fine motor skills also returned through the typing.
Month-long story short, today she was discharged, two weeks early. Her grateful mom drove her back to SLO to a happy family and school full of friends. See Scott Budman’s coverage on his NBC11 blog, Tech Notes here.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Dorothy.

Just another day in PR paradise

Being recognized for your good work is very gratifying. Sharing that recognition with a client is even more so. Today Brenna and I told the FIRST 5 Santa Clara County commissioners about the awards we and they have won for their new Web site.

After noting that many people were involved in the project, and recognizing FIRST 5’s art director, Daniel Tran, we announced that the site has won an iNOVA Silver Award from the International Academy of Communications Arts and Sciences. It also won a Silver Award from the League of American Communications Professionals (LACP), which is always a pleasure to enter because you get excerpts of the judges’ comments. Here’s some of what they said:

“What a great resource! It’s great to see First 5 pull together so much information in one place for young families. Outstanding.”

“Terrific visual design. Definitely contributes to the work’s success.”

“Excellent narrative. It’s clear that a lot of work went into this material.”

“Top-notch message clarity. I like how the key points being communicated effortlessly ‘bubble up’ to the top of this work.”

But to top it off, the site won the MarCom “Best Web Site Overall,” Platinum Award from the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals, the highest award in the international competition.

When one of the commissioners asked Jolene Smith if a certain document could be put on the Web site, she said “no problem.” That’s what we like to hear.