In 2002, Devillier Communications Inc. (Devillier), at the request of Crosskeys Media® and with the support of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation®, undertook a six-month effort that resulted in a carefully designed Strategic Communications Plan on behalf of the television series, Remaking American Medicine™…Health Care for the 21st Century.

The overall goals of the PBS series and the proposed national outreach campaign were to encourage viewers to become advocates for quality health care; to motivate, inspire and connect individuals, organizations and institutions dedicated to this issue; and to issue a call to action to improve the quality of health care for all Americans.

In the course of developing the Communications Plan, Devillier spoke with more than 50 people representing each of the major stakeholders – providers, purchasers, quality experts, consumer advocates and policy-makers. Their advice, enthusiasm and support were essential to the creation of the Plan. They all supported the concept of creating a health care system that values innovation, rewards excellence, recognizes and corrects systemic flaws and puts the patient at the center of the best care possible.

Based on these interviews, Devillier, working in collaboration with Crosskeys Media, produced a Strategic Communications Plan that served as the foundation for the creative, innovative and ultimately, successful massive national outreach campaign which is detailed in this Final Report.

The Plan, which was approved by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, proposed a series of communications objectives that would:

• Underscore the importance of improving the quality of health care in America,
• Stimulate a dialogue among key stakeholders,
• Encourage consumers to become informed advocates for their own health care and that of their families,
• Promote best practice examples and demonstrate how others are improving the quality of health care in their respective communities, organizations and institutions,
• Develop an environment for alliances that would focus on quality issues and assist each stakeholder group to collaborate and take specific actions,
• Create an informative and motivational event that would underscore the imperative for positive change, and
• Generate the broadest possible viewership for the television series.