'Hope is Alive' Community Partnership Video PSA Earns 22 Health Care Advertising Awards

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "Hope is Alive", a digital media campaign inspired by the partnership between Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), SAC Health (SACHS), Loma Linda University Health (LLUH), Ezra Productions, and St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church (St. Paul AME) in San Bernardino has earned a total of 22 health care advertising awards.

Awards range from Merit, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Best of Show across organizations, including Healthcare AdAwards, Aster Awards, the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (Viddy Awards), American Advertising Federation's Inland Empire Chapter, and Telly Awards.

Aimed to provide education and resources to the region's Black and Hispanic populations – who have the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates and the highest virus and hospitalization rates – the partnership began in 2021 as a way for IEHP to reach and inform these community members.

"COVID hit Black and Brown communities like ours the hardest," said St. Paul African American Methodist Episcopal Church (St. Paul AME) Pastor Steven D. Shepard Sr. "We often get looked over because we don't have the assets or the finances that others have in their community."

With limited health care access and historical fears of modern medicine, community organizations knew that to save lives, they'd need to meet their residents where they were and provide them with trusted information, support, and encouragement to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

The collaboration included gathering resources across IEHP, LLUH and SACH to organize COVID-19 vaccine clinics, grocery distribution events, and community outreach in a familiar place: St. Paul AME Church. This work represented the shared goals for IEHP's community partnerships with outreach and health services teams – all in support of the organization's Mission: "We heal and inspire the human spirit."

Ezra Productions – through close collaboration with IEHP's marketing-communication team for this inspiring story – captured the joint efforts, producing "Hope is Alive." The public service announcement video served as a platform for the community and members of St. Paul AME Church to share their experiences about COVID-19, including acknowledging fears associated with the vaccine and the need for continued community collaboration.

"We grew up not trusting anything the government wanted to give us," said a St. Paul AME Church member, who sat next to her daughter during the interview. "I was born blind; I'm the product of the Tuskegee Experiment."

"I turned to her and said, 'You know, it's [the vaccine clinic] at the church and it's with IEHP?' and that's when she said, 'Sign me up,'" said the member's daughter.

"To drive change forward, people need to be met right where they are," said IEHP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Takashi Wada. "Heartfelt outreach, listening, and partnering with trusted organizations in our community are key to making that happen. We're grateful to continue developing and pouring into award-winning collaborations that enable us to care and support our Members in a way that makes sense to who they are as individuals."

Documenting the power of empathy, outreach, and community support, "Hope is Alive" was judged by national panels who scored thousands of entries based on creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design, and impact.

To learn more about IEHP, visit IEHP.org. To watch the "Hope is Alive" video, click here.

With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. In its 26^th year, IEHP is supporting more than 1.5 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plans and has a growing network of over 7,800 providers and nearly 3,000 Team Members. Through dynamic partnerships with Providers and community organizations, paired with award-winning service and a tradition of quality care, IEHP is fully committed to their vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. For more information, visit iehp.org.

SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP)