Winner: Peggy Heller, Executive Vice President of Health-Care Public Relations, Vox Medica, Inc.
Peggy Heller gets behind her people, whether it's the clients for a multicultural campaign or her own staff. Her accomplishments in 2005 speak poignantly to her passion for
contemporary issues and the human lives they affect: she developed and launched a multicultural communications health-disparity program for AstraZeneca. The campaign, which was
titled "Through the Kitchen Door," also was translated into a Hispanic version in Los Angeles late last year and an African American version called "Cooking with Hearth and Soul"
early this year.
In addition, an educational program she created, "The Memory Initiative," boosted awareness of Alzheimer's Disease in Hispanic and Latino communities in Miami and San Antonio.
Also last year, Heller played a pivotal role in running a multimillion-dollar, 27-state campaign called "My Medicare Matters," a grassroots education initiative that reached
thousands of seniors at local market events around the country.
Heller's client list features some of the most prominent names in health care, among them AstraZeneca, Berlex, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline. Her work for those companies has
brought culturally sensitive materials to both consumers and professional audiences, touching thousands of lives with information about how to take advantage of health and
government resources available to them.
Beyond her dedication to the campaigns, however, Heller devotes considerable attention to the people with whom she works on a daily basis. She has implemented a comprehensive
staff development program and is known for her mentoring activities at Vox Medica. She also reaches out to the PR industry and community on a volunteer basis, sitting on the
planning committee for the PR Annual Essay Conference on behalf of the Health Academy, getting involved in fundraising and allocation efforts for the Overlook Hospital Foundation,
and working tirelessly in the nonprofit sector on PR campaigns for Schering Corporate, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and the North American Menopause
Society.
The fruits of Heller's labors have taken many forms. Her work earned her a spot on the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association, and she earned the HBA
Metro Chapter and Volunteer of the Month Award last year. Last, but by no means least, the PRSA recognized Heller's work with the Silver Anvil in acknowledgement of her commitment
to excellence in public relations.
Contact: [email protected]
Honorable Mention
Marita Gomez does more than run an award-winning healthcare marketing communications company: she also runs marathons for charity. As CEO of HealthInfo Direct, LLC, Gomez has
gleaned numerous awards for her work, including an IABC/Chicago Spectra Award for excellence in Marketing/Branding Communications and her selection as one of PharmVOICE magazine's
135 thought leaders to forecast trends in the pharmaceutical industry this year.