Collective of five hospital systems hires PR agency for strategic communications project

EASTON, Pa. — The Health Care Council of Lehigh Valley (HCC), consisting of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, KidsPeace Mental Health Network, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Sacred Heart HealthCare System, St. Luke’s University Health Network,
and the Dorothy Rider Pool Health Care Trust, has hired Kimball Communications to develop a strategic communications plan related to the group’s recently completed Joint Community Health Needs Assessment. The assessment was required as a provision of the U.S. Affordable Care Act.

The 18-year-old Lehigh Valley agency will work with HCC to create a communications framework to best serve the goals of the assessment. Those goals include coordinating the resources of the five health systems around pressing community health needs and identifying the most effective means of informing and educating those communities.

“Communicating the findings of the Health Needs Assessment is of critical importance to our region,” explained Ron Dendas, a spokesperson for the Dorothy Rider Pool Health Care Trust, which is funding the communications project. “Bringing an agency like Kimball Communications in to identify resources, streamline communication among our partners and ensure our communities are reached is vital to the success of this joint effort. This will allow HCC to focus on better health, while Kimball Communications focuses on the most effective means to reach our communities.”

“For nearly two decades our agency has worked in health care communications, and our team is honored HCC selected us as their partner,” said Gary Kimball, president of Kimball Communications. “HCC’s work will play a key role in promoting a stronger, healthier Lehigh Valley, and Kimball Communications is eager to help in that effort.”

About Kimball Communications
Kimball Communications (www.kimballpr.com) is a results-driven, public relations agency dedicated to serving the individual public relations needs of every client. Founded in 1995, the agency provides innovative public relations and social media solutions to a national client base. Visit us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/kimballpr) or on Twitter (@kimballpr).