The campaign is part of a national initiative announced by HHS in January 2009 to reduce HAIs, said Jennifer Buschick, deputy director of communications for the Office of Public Health and Science.
HHS estimates that there are 1.7 million HAIs in the US each year. Patients pick these infections up in hospitals and other care facilities while receiving treatment for a separate issue.
“It's a pretty broad scale effort to influence both consumers and healthcare providers and help them to understand how to work together in preventing the spread of HAIs,” said Jennifer Wayman, EVP and group director at Ogilvy.
The firm, which was awarded the three-year contract September 30, is working with its subsidiary Feinstein Kean Healthcare on the project.The contract has a first-year budget of $1.8 million.
Work will include research, media relations, creative materials development, PSAs, events, social media, Web site and partnership development, and stakeholder outreach, noted Wayman.
Although the audiences and messaging has not yet been developed, Buschick noted that there will be specific outreach to Hispanics and much of the consumer messaging will be educational. The campaign is expected to launch in spring 2010, with a major event in the following fall.