Aetna OhioRISE is a first-of-its-kind Medicaid program that supports more than 50,000 Ohio youth with complex behavioral health needs. Aetna asked Werth PR to build a communications strategy that could reach everyone with a stake in the program's success, from state officials and lawmakers to healthcare providers, community partners and the families the program serves.
OhioRISE depends on many differing groups working together, including state agencies, elected officials, behavioral health providers and the families who rely on the program. Each group needed different information, and they didn't always see the program the same way. On top of that, the program itself was hard to explain, which made it harder to build awareness and trust.
Werth PR built a comprehensive communications strategy to bring every audience onto the same page. Through research and collaboration with Aetna and The Ohio Department of Medicaid, we created new messaging so the program was easier to understand. To build support among lawmakers, we developed testimony and briefing materials for Ohio's Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee. To reach the public and community partners, we created videos, social media content, email campaigns and ready-to-use toolkits.
Our work strengthened OhioRISE's credibility, making the program easier to explain and trust. Werth PR helped align stakeholders around a shared message, increased awareness of OhioRISE among the people it's meant to serve and left Aetna with a data-driven communications toolkit that can grow with the program.
