The need: In 2009, Lewis-Gale Medical Center reached out to Access for assistance with multiple public relations initiatives, including:
- Media relations to promote the visit of U.S. Senator Mark Warner during his Healthcare Tour
- Planning and promotion of the Hospital's 100th Anniversary Celebration
- Media Relations for the remarkable success story of a Meningitis Survivor
The Access Response:
Visit of Mark Warner
- Access pitched local media, securing coverage of the visit by all major local media outlets.
- Access assisted hospital leadership in determining potential threats
- Access assisted in positioning hospital leadership as thought leaders on the healthcare question
The 100th Anniversary
- Access coordinated all aspects of pre-event planning including a "Save the Date" invitation; creation and distribution of 1500 DVD's showing 100 years of medical progress; and speechwriting for hospital leadership at the event which was attended by 1,000 people.
- Access-generated media coverage over three days before and after the event created more than 1,000,000 media impressions
- Access visited all major local television stations with a personal pitch for coverage of the 6 p.m. event, resulting in live coverage from WDBJ-7 (CBS) and WSLS-10 (NBC). Lynchburg Based WSET-13 (ABC) provided taped coverage. All local newspapers also covered the event.
- Access successfully guided coverage to showcase the hospital's latest technology as well as its storied history.
The Miracle Meningitis Case
- During a brainstorming session, Access helped Lewis-Gale leadership realize the value of the story of a local college student who nearly died from meningitis, and was saved by the quick thinking of a staff physician who used an unusual therapy.
- Access helped guide coverage of the story which resulted in long-form stories on WDBJ-7 and WSLS-10 and front-page, above the fold coverage in the Roanoke Times.