Accent Media has developed a variety of educational print materials for diverse audiences for 13 years. We are especially expert in translating complex health topics into informative and interesting materials for consumer audiences as well as for health and broadcast professionals. We often draw upon a combination of media to effectively reach our audiences, using television and radio for public awareness and print materials to provide more detailed health or scientific information.

Medicare Campaign: Prevention Is The Best Medicine (1999-2001). Through our work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly the Health Care Financing Administration, we have developed a campaign to motivate adults to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors throughout their lives, recognize the importance of regular checkups and screenings, and learn about the availability of treatments to address illness and disease. While Medicare is widely known for being the nationıs largest health insurer, it is not so well known as a source of health education and information or an advocate for preventive medicine. Many people are aware that preventive measures ‹ including regular testing for cancer and proper exercise and diet help people live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. Our two year campaign, entitled ³Prevention is the Best Medicine,² has used television news programs, Public Service Announcements and press and educational materials to educate consumers about the importance of health promotion, disease prevention, and the health benefits that Medicare covers for its beneficiaries.

We developed promotional print packages highlighting preventive services available to Medicare beneficiaries for two different audiences. Our first promotional kit Medicare & You, aimed at television programmers, provides background information on colon and breast cancer screenings, self-treatment of diabetes, depression and the Medicare program. This award-winning print package was designed to both educate television programmers as well as promote our corresponding series of fourteen video news releases. A second educational print package Prevention is the Best Medicine is being developed for health care professionals and lay audiences to provide more detail on breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancers, as well as osteoporosis, diabetes, and flu and pneumonia vaccines. This kit, currently under review, will be used at health care conferences and in educational settings.

The creative process for both of these packages involves ongoing meetings and correspondence with the CMS Project Officer and subject experts to gather content and messages to be promoted in these materials. All of the fact sheets and other materials were then reviewed by a panel of Medicare experts and then revised as needed.

Medicaid Campaign: It's In Your Hands: Do What's Best for You and Your Baby (1999-2001)

As part of a campaign to education women about the importance of being tested for HIV, Accent produced a pair of bi-lingual documentary/training films and an extensive educational print package for doctors, health care professionals and women on Maternal HIV. This video and print package, entitled It's In Your Hands: Do What's Best for You and Your Baby is intended to educate ALL women of childbearing age, as well as the health professionals who care for them, about the importance of being tested for HIV regardless of sexual risk. The video also informs women about new anti-retroviral treatments for pregnant women with HIV which can save the life of their unborn child and extend their own lives. All research, writing and production was carried out by our expert team. After extensive consultation with experts at CMS and in the field of HIV/AIDS, we drafted and revised materials in English and Spanish so as to satisfy the needs for addressing different ethnic and demographic groups, telling compelling stories, and conveying scrupulously accurate medical information.

AARP Hispanic Financial Education Campaign (2001) In an effort to reach out to new Hispanic members, AARP has turned to Accent for assistance on a series of workshop materials in Spanish. Four workbooks were developed under our guidance to educate Hispanic seniors about banking, savings, setting up retirement accounts, and a myriad of other financial issues. In addition, Accent was asked to write a historieta (comic book for adults) on banking and managing family finances. Accent's President/Producer developed a dramatic and intriguing story which is currently coming to life through illustrated characters. These materials are serving as the beginning of a pilot project which may include TV and radio PSAs, news releases, and dramatic vignettes in the telenovela style.

As in all our campaigns, age, racial and cultural sensitivity are the keys to reaching several different audiences with messages. We have a highly skilled team of in-house writers who have developed these and other educational materials on complex health topics.