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April 22, 2025 31 mins

When public health stories are told right, they don’t just inform—they move people.

In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast with Alexson Calahan, Founder of Small Adventures Communications, we dive deep into the ‘how’ of public relations in public health and explore tangible takeaways to do it better.

From building trust with patients to crafting campaigns that change behavior, Alexson shares the tools, strategies, and lessons she’s learned across two decades in the field, including:


◼️The difference between PR, marketing, and communications in practice
◼️What happens when PR and public health work really well together
◼️How to connect emotionally and ethically with communities and patients
◼️A step-by-step approach to collecting, crafting, and sharing patient stories responsibly
◼️How organizations can prepare for crises and protect both relationships and reputations


Plus, we unpack the role of AI in PR (spoiler: it’s not ready to write your press releases just yet).



References for Our Discussion

◼️Small Adventures Communications

◼️Today Show Article: How parents of children born with heart defects share their hope



Guest

◼️Alexson Calahan, APR



Host(s) & Producer(s)

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®



Production Notes


◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room



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