Saint Agnes Hospital Selects Vitamin As PR Agency Of Record

BALTIMORE, Sept. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Saint Agnes Hospital has retained Vitamin® as its agency of record for public relations services. Vitamin will lead the hospital's public relations program, which is designed to heighten awareness of Saint Agnes' brand as well as the hospital's key areas of specialization. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Since we first began working with Vitamin as our digital marketing partner in 2010, we have collaborated on multiple award-winning web sites, online advertising programs, and new media projects," said Kirstan Cecil, director of marketing at Saint Agnes Hospital. "Their team brings a savvy, integrated approach to PR that allows us to leverage online media to support the hospital's public outreach. Coupled with their responsiveness and deep understanding of our communications objectives, Vitamin is hitting the ground running."

Saint Agnes celebrated its 150^th anniversary this year. The 314-bed hospital is currently undergoing a $200+ million expansion emphasizing patient safety in a high quality healthcare environment. A health care leader in Maryland, Saint Agnes performs more weight loss surgeries annually than any other hospital in the state. The hospital is one of the first in Maryland to treat lung cancer patients using robotic surgery and remains a leader in this practice. Saint Agnes also pioneered the first Chest Pain emergency department in the world more than 30 years ago. Moreover, the Saint Agnes has assumed a regional leadership role on the Maryland Patient Safety Center's Neonatal Safety Collaborative, ensuring the healthiest outcome after birth. Saint Agnes is also one of the only hospitals regionally to offer complex procedures for the treatment of liver and pancreas diseases.

"It's exciting to continue our relationship with Saint Agnes, and an honor to be named the hospital's PR agency of record," said Amanda Karfakis, president and CEO of Vitamin. "With a finger on the pulse of high-technology healthcare, a deep-rooted history in Maryland, and some of the region's most touted medical physician and staff, Saint Agnes' stories are significant, and many are literally life-changing. Saint Agnes began sharing numerous such stories in the 360 health and wellness blog Vitamin designed earlier this year. We're very much looking forward to working with the hospital from a PR perspective to share these types of stories and much more with the public."

Tracy Fitzgerald previously handled Saint Agnes' PR program. Fitzgerald continues to work closely with the hospital, as a strategic marketing and campaign-planning partner. Her primary focus is on planning one of Saint Agnes' annual marquee events, Red Dress Sunday, which will take place on February 10, 2013. The event educates women and men in churches across the state about the risk factors of heart disease and how to achieve and maintain a heart healthy lifestyle.

About Vitamin®
Vitamin®, the "Cure for the Common Brand®," is the mid-Atlantic's first boutique design-web-public relations firm focused on nourishing brands through a best practices, all-in-house approach to creating cohesive identity, print, interactive and PR programs. Vitamin's client list includes regional and national companies in diverse fields, including built industry, banking, education, healthcare, restaurant/ hospitality, non-profit and search/staffing. Vitamin is certified MBE/DBE by the Maryland Department of Transportation.

About Saint Agnes Hospital
Founded by the Daughters of Charity in 1862, Saint Agnes Hospital is a 314-bed hospital currently undergoing a $200+ million expansion emphasizing patient safety in a high quality healthcare environment. Saint Agnes is the oldest Catholic hospital in Baltimore, Md. and is a full service teaching hospital with residency programs in a number of medical and surgical specialties. The hospital's key institutes include the: Cancer Institute, Cardiovascular Institute, Maryland Metabolic Institute, Orthopedic & Spine Institute, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, and Women's & Children's Health Institute. Saint Agnes pioneered the first Chest Pain emergency department in the world more than 30 years ago, and continues to expand and grow its Emergency Services.

SOURCE Vitamin, Inc.