ROLE

ACD/Writer

AGENCY

Small Army

VIBES

• Movement Building
• 
  
• CAPABILITIES

Healthcare advocacy

Executive communications

Multi-stakeholder messaging

Strategic PR placement

Cross-functional collaboration

Community engagement

• TEAM
• AD: Eric Peterson
• ACD/CD: Jess Tardy
• ACD: Joe Krikava
• ECD: Sam Pitino

Q: How do you launch the most ambitious addiction medicine initiative in US history?

A: Create a visible solidarity movement that puts the issue front and center.

Boston Medical Center needed to launch the Grayken Center—the largest private gift in US addiction medicine history—in a way that would galvanize public support and create sustained engagement around a stigmatized healthcare issue.

Our insight: We are all only a few degrees related to this crisis. But if addiction is endemic, why is the care it so desperately requires still lurking in the shadows of medical advancement conversations? There’s no fighting it without first naming it. Loudly.

We developed a campaign and communications strategy that transformed addiction care from a niche medical topic into a visible solidarity movement. The “Addiction is Here” positioning acknowledged the reality while empowering people to be part of the solution. Rather than traditional healthcare advertising, we designed visible, participatory experiences—from a first-of-its-kind placement above the Boston Globe’s masthead to thousands of buttons that turned supporters into walking advocates.

As a creative lead, I crafted the strategy and messaging that de-stigmatized substance abuse disorders while inspiring action across diverse stakeholder groups—from healthcare professionals to community advocates and families affected by addiction. I also developed the BMC CEO’s executive communications strategy, aligning leadership messaging with our movement-building approach.

The result? We transformed a healthcare announcement into a community movement, generating sustained visibility from Boston’s morning commute to high-visibility press events with state and local stakeholders. The campaign positioned the Grayken Center as a catalyst for systemic change in addiction medicine while creating multiple touchpoints for ongoing engagement.

On a personal note: Working on this initiative helped inspire my path towards becoming a community chaplain. It’s also an example of my “meet people where they are” approach to strategy and creative challenges. I’m glad I had a chance to work on this life-changing assignmen