Diverse Approach Increases Access

California’s rich cultural diversity is equaled only by its geographic diversity, creating unique challenges when it comes to health education. A universal strategy that works in other states often won’t be successful in reaching California’s myriad multicultural communities speaking upwards of 13 threshold languages and living in various urban, suburban and rural settings. While some states have just one major media market, California includes five main media markets and several secondary markets. Each has a distinct personality, often requiring multiple approaches.

PCG tapped into its knowledge of California’s intricacies when the Partnership for Prescription Assistance wanted to launch its national “Help is Here Express Bus” to increase awareness among eligible Americans about the availability of free and low-cost medicines. By tapping into community-based health organizations, multicultural groups and ethnic media, PCG tailored the national program for local success. Through careful navigation PCG coordinated logistics for a 60-stop bus tour while developing a culturally competent program that helped patients access free and low-cost medicines on-site, while training community leaders for sustainable support once the bus left town.

THE RESULTS:

• Expanded a network of multicultural partners, fostering goodwill by providing meaningful support for their constituents
• Engaged more than 25 state and federal legislative representatives, illustrating the plight of the under- and uninsured and building awareness of available assistance programs
• Created PPA’s brand awareness through multi-lingual media and direct mail; with effectiveness illustrated when many attendees brought an article, ad or postcard to local events
• Generated nearly 57,000 calls to PPA during the 9-month campaign; matched 96 percent of patients with a program that would provide them with free or low-cost medicines