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HMA Associates

Gold Stevie Award Winner 2013, Click to Enter The 2014 Steve Awards for Women in Business

Company: HMA Associates, Inc.
Company Description: HMA is a female- and minority-owned small business that is dedicated to creating multicultural communications and social marketing campaigns as a means of reducing health disparities.
Nomination Category: Communications & Marketing Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Multicultural

Nomination Title: HMA Launches National Influenza Vaccination Disparities Partnership

In up to 525 words, tell the judges about the nominated campaign: its genesis, development, planning, commission, and performance to date:

Influenza is a contagious, yet preventable illness that can cause severe complications, hospitalization and even death. Yet far too few people are vaccinated. Certain groups are at increased risk of developing serious flu-related complications because of higher under-vaccination rates and health disparities related to chronic diseases and conditions. These include African Americans, Latinos, and American Indians/Alaska Natives. Latinos have the lowest vaccination rate among all adults, 38.9% (CDC, 2013). Native elders have a higher prevalence of chronic illness and African Americans have a low coverage rate as compared to whites (39%)

The CDC engaged HMA Associates, a minority- and female-owned multicultural communications firm in DC, to create and sustain the National Influenza Vaccination Disparities Partnership to mobilize grassroots leaders to reach underserved populations. The majority of the leaders that have been engaged are women who work collaboratively with groups such as local faith-based organizations, community clinics, and immunization programs to increase awareness about the benefits of the flu vaccine.

HMA has been able to coordinate promotional activities including health fairs, educational forums, media events and on-site flu vaccination clinics. An integrated communications campaign has allowed the development of printed materials, digital and social media strategies and several highly effective community engagement activities that have made a difference in closing the vaccine coverage gap.

The results reflect the strong commitment of thousands of female grassroots leaders who have brought success to the campaign, which includes:

--Recruiting over 500 multi-sector community partner organizations
--Coordinating 239 flu vaccine promotion events in 45 cities
--Engaging 172 media partners
--Partnering with Walgreens and local health departments, resulting in over 250,000 medically vulnerable people to be vaccinated against the flu
--Disseminating 127,000 CDC printed materials

Samples of the creative collateral can be viewed through the CDC partner portal. In addition, HMA is quite proud of the first Spanish-language motion comic book developed for the CDC. The comic book aims to encourage Latina pregnant women to get vaccinated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvv3JO_W2zA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tSTERIGjB0

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/partners/disparities.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/freeresources/print-native.htm

Provide a brief biography of the person or persons who lead the team that created and carried out the nominated communications campaign (up to 125 words):

Irma Maldonado, is the CEO and founder of Harrison Maldonado Associates (HMA), Ms. Maldonado is responsible for the overall functioning of the organization including client base development and retention, quality and scope of services, and staff and fiscal management. Ms. Maldonado is a leader in the health communications field with more than 20 years of experience providing a full range of multicultural media and marketing services.

J. Carlos Velazquez, is the Senior Vice President of Community Engagement for HMA. He serves as the project director for the CDC flu vaccination campaign. He has more than 20 years of experience in developing highly successful partnerships and social marketing campaigns at the national level and overseas.