EMBARGOED UNTIL FRIDAY, NOV. 5TH, 6 A.M. Media Contact: Michael Schwartzberg, Media Relations Manager, GBMC (Office: 443-849-2126/Cell: 410-258-3465)
Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore Sun and WJZ-TV 13 Launch Baltimore Regional Healthcare Information Initiative
Partnership Aims To Deliver Healthcare Education, Information To Baltimore Community
BALTIMORE – November 3, 2004 – Area healthcare and media leaders today announced the launching of the Baltimore Regional Healthcare Information Initiative, a multi-media partnership among Greater Baltimore Medical Center, the Baltimore Sun, and WJZ-TV 13 to deliver health news and education across the region. Zizzo Group Healthcare Communications of Milwaukee, WI is also a partner in the initiative, responsible for the creative development and execution of the campaign. The three-year campaign, beginning in April 2005, includes extensive television and print promotion on WJZ and in the Baltimore Sun, as well as a content-specific dedicated Internet website offering interactive and customized healthcare information refreshed regularly. “This is a strategic opportunity for GBMC, already considered a leader in the highly competitive Baltimore healthcare market, to deliver a branded package of education and news about medical issues of concern across our community,” said Larry Merlis, GBMC’s president and chief executive officer. “This initiative will offer expert advice from proven professionals in our own community.” “Today’s healthcare consumer demands information on which to base their medical care decisions,” Merlis said, “and they routinely turn to the newspaper, television and the Internet to search for information addressing their pressing healthcare needs, concerns and issues.” Merlis also noted this initiative coincides with GBMC’s plans in 2005 - the hospital’s 40th anniversary - to open a Community Resource Center and expanded Medical Library. “WJZ 13 is pleased to partner with GBMC and the Baltimore Sun to offer important health and medical information to the community,” said Jay Newman, the station’s vice president and general manager. “This partnership further enhances WJZ’s established leadership position in Maryland.”
“The multi-media partnership between The Baltimore Sun, GBMC and WJZ-TV is an example of business
organizations working together to provide community health related information – an area of strong interest for our readers,” said Denise Palmer publisher and CEO of the Baltimore Sun. “The partnership that has been assembled in Baltimore provides residents with education and information related to their health,” said Jim Denor, vice president of development at the Zizzo Group. “As consumers take on more responsibility for healthcare decisions they seek knowledge to make better, more informed choices. Zizzo Group is excited about adding our healthcare communications expertise to this program specificallytailored to Baltimore healthcare consumers.”
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GBMC includes Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Hospice of Baltimore and the Gilchrist Center, GBMC Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Community Health Center and GBMC Foundation.
The campaign is strategically targeted to an audience of women ages 25-54. Typically this demographic is charged with making healthcare decisions for several generations of family members; controls a vast majority of dollars spent on healthcare products and services; visits doctors 25 percent more often and are hospitalized 15% more often.
About GBMC GBMC includes Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), Central Maryland’s leading community hospital; Hospice of Baltimore, which provides comfort and care to patients with life-limiting illnesses; the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Community Health Center, which offers comprehensive health and family services to the residents of East Baltimore; and the GBMC Foundation, which supports the GBMC mission by managing fundraising efforts. The 300-bed Medical Center, located on a beautiful suburban campus, serves nearly 22,000 inpatients annually as well as providing approximately 50,000 emergency room visits. For more information, go to www.gbmc.org. About the Baltimore Sun The Sun is the leading newspaper in Maryland, serving more than 1.2 million readers each week, primarily in the five counties in the Baltimore market. The Sun has published a daily, morning newspaper since 1837 and has won 15 Pulitzer Prizes. The paper is published by the Baltimore Sun Co., which also operates baltimoresun.com as well as a community newspaper group, Patuxent Publishing Company and The Aegis, Harford County's community newspaper. About WJZ-TV13 WJZ- TV13 is a leading Baltimore television station well known for news, sports, and community involvement. The television station offers more hours of local news then any other Baltimore TV station and has taken the lead in coverage of health and medical news. WJZ broadcasts Baltimore Ravens, Orioles, Golf, US Open Tennis, and the NCAA basketball tournament. WJZ is a CBS Owned Television Station and is part of the Viacom Inc. About Zizzo Group Healthcare Communications Established in 1995, Zizzo Group Advertising and Public Relations is a full service, integrated marketing communications firm based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Zizzo Group has a specialized healthcare practice area providing strategy, creative development and project execution services to healthcare organizations across the nation including San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Tampa, Louisville, Milwaukee, Eau Claire (WI) and Baltimore. For more information, visit www.zizzogroup.com.
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