Aetna OhioRISE serves more than 50,000 Ohio youth with complex behavioral health needs through a first-of-its-kind Medicaid program. Aetna asked Werth PR to develop and implement a strategic communications program to reach stakeholders, legislators and policy leaders, care management entities (CMEs), critical community partners and OhioRISE eligible youth and families.
The initiative required clear, consistent communication across a highly complex system that included state agencies, legislators, providers and families while navigating policy scrutiny and evolving stakeholder expectations. At the same time, awareness gaps and complex messaging impacted program understanding and engagement.
Werth PR developed a comprehensive communications strategy to align stakeholders and support long-term success. The team performed message audits and qualitative insights gathering to create a fully integrated approach across owned, earned and partner channels. Werth PR simplified messaging to improve accessibility and supported legislative education with a public affairs strategy, testimony development and a comprehensive outcomes report for the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee. The team also enhanced program visibility through video storytelling, social media, email campaigns and partner toolkits.
Werth PR strengthened alignment among stakeholders, boosted awareness of OhioRISE among targeted audiences and created a scalable communications framework that included simplified messaging, toolkits for partner organizations and data-driven stories that generated interest and built trust in OhioRISE.
