Our Health California (OHC) — CHA’s digital community of more than 1 million supporters — has been awarded two national health care advertising awards for its promotion of one hospital’s efforts to care for homeless patients, as well as its work to raise awareness of and destigmatize mental health issues.
CHA launched OHC in 2014 with the goals of building healthier communities and advancing access to quality health care. The program has received six national awards for its social media and advocacy campaigns.
This year’s winners include a photo feature story that received a Gold award in the advertising campaign category. Titled “Herve’s Home,” the story showcases the journey of two chronically homeless patients who cycled in and out of the Providence Saint John’s Hospital emergency room in Santa Monica, where a homeless navigation program connects patients to community resources, freeing up the emergency department for acute care needs and helping homeless patients get on the path to stable housing and improved well-being.
OHC’s Healthy Minds Datagrams project received a Silver award in the photo/illustration series category. The data-focused videos were created to support Behavioral Health Action, a coalition of more than 50 organizations that CHA co-founded last year in an effort to engage candidates and raise awareness about the importance of addressing behavioral health issues statewide. Each video “datagram” includes key facts about the behavioral health crisis — for example, that it affects millions of Americans, including 6 million Californians, and that many of those affected don’t seek the help they need.
A key priority for OHC is to educate voters and other politically active supporters on important health and public health issues. Periodically, CHA engages OHC supporters to speak up for hospitals on priority issues such as federal health reform and the Affordable Care Act, statewide ballot initiatives, and key legislative issues.
Hospital storytelling is also a key component of the OHC mission, helping to positively position hospitals and the work they do to keep communities healthy. The website’s News & Resources section showcases a variety of hospital programs across the state, as well as consumer information and health and safety tips.