As originally posted by PRWeek
National telehealth provider MDLive has selected Coyne Public Relations as AOR.
Coyne PR was selected following an RFP process that ran from May to September 2020. The agency officially started working with MDLive in November.
Coyne PR will support MDLive with consumer awareness, media relations, thought leadership, corporate communications and social media.
“An important area of focus for us is raising our visibility in consumer media,” said Amy Trow, marketing engagement director at MDLive.
She explained that with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended telehealth services as one way to slow the spread of the virus. Because of this, the industry has seen “a lot more consumers who are open to the idea of using telehealth and many tried it for the first time during the pandemic.”
Trow added that there is “still a lot of education to be done among consumers,” so that is a big focus area for MDLive and its work with Coyne.
Kevin Lamb, an SVP in Coyne’s healthcare practice, is leading the account.
“What’s exciting is we have the opportunity to define and help bring forth a real value proposition for consumers who are considering or looking for different ways to access healthcare,” said Lamb.
Budget information was not disclosed.
Trow would not name the incumbent agency, but Russo Partners was listed as a press contact on MDLive press releases prior to November 2020.
“Our former firm served us very well for a long time,” said Trow. “They had strengths they put to good use for us. Our needs evolved in 2020, which led to the search.”
Russo Partners president David Schull told PRWeek that his firm worked with MDLive “for several years,” but would not comment further.
MDLive serves over 60 million members nationwide through major health plans, hospitals and employers. Through MDLive, members can access convenient, affordable, contagion-free virtual healthcare services from board-certified physicians, dermatologists, psychiatrists and therapists specially trained in virtual care, according to a statement.
Coyne PR’s other healthcare clients include Pacira, Humana, Bayer and Otsuka.
