As one of the foremost leaders in health communication, CATMEDIA has been awarded multiple contracts allowing it to work with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over the past two years. These contracts give the Atlanta-based company opportunities to assist CDC in raising awareness of several global public health threats.
“We are thrilled to provide our expertise to challenges of this magnitude,” said Catherine Downey, CATMEDIA founder & CEO. “Our team has long enjoyed a wonderful relationship with CDC, and we’re excited to be supporting them now on multiple national and global health initiatives.”
A national leader working with highly regulated clients, breaking down complex issues, and effectively communicating to a wide array of audiences, CATMEDIA is now partnering with CDC for health communication projects in the following areas:
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
The CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reports System (VAERS) is a national reporting system that helps find potential problems in U.S.-licensed vaccines. CATMEDIA has partnered with VAERS to create a video to define itself to the public, as well as videos that accomplish other tasks, such as educating healthcare providers on how to communicate more effectively with their patients using “empathetic conversations.”
Center for Preparedness and Response
CATMEDIA helped develop two creative and innovative video products for CDC’s Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR). These projects emphasized the importance and impact of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program on national preparedness and response efforts. The first video specifically highlighted the work of the PHEP-funded Career Epidemiology Field Officer (CEFO) as an example of the impact it had on the national PHEP program, while the second video highlighted how PHEP addresses health equity concerns and positively impacts underserved communities.
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
CATMEDIA is working with CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) to help tackle a global One Health issue: antibiotic resistance (AR). Communicating about AR as a One Health threat is complex because of the many industries and interests with which it has the potential to intersect, which requires knowledgeable and experienced communications, like that provided by CATMEDIA. The company has developed videos, communications plans, social media graphics, and digital ad metrics analysis, among other services, for NCEZID.
Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support
CATMEDIA has also partnered with CDC’s Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (STLTS), creating graphics that speak to underrepresented tribal and Alaskan groups for the center’s COVID-19 response unit. CATMEDIA has designed posters and graphics explaining COVID-19 vaccination guidelines for pregnant women and women who were considering pregnancy, and the company is currently working to adapt current vaccination messaging for adolescent audiences within the tribal community, such as the Digital Resources now on this CDC COVID-19 webpage.
Vaccine Task Force
CATMEDIA has developed an innovative COVID-19 Vaccine Conversation Module for Healthcare Professionals, including 15 animated videos walking HCPs through empathetic conversations with patients, for CDC’s Vaccine Task Force (VTF). The company has also continued to create new social media graphics—custom designed for the task force’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest accounts—promoting the evolving messaging concerning COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety. Topics include guidelines for vaccine brands and pre-existing health conditions related to vaccination.
“We currently live in a time where communication has never been more critical,” said Ronetta Andrus, CATMEDIA senior vice president of operations and business affairs. “We’re extremely proud to work with CDC on developing these impactful and potentially life-saving messages.”
