National Public Health Information Coalition
986 Hidden Hollow Drive
Marietta,
GA
USA
30068
Email:
kaugust@nphic.org
Biographical Sketch:
Development Director, 2007 - present
National Public Health Information Coalition
Marietta, Georgia
Responsible for managing relationships with all funding agencies and cultivating new funding relationships with government organizations and foundations.
Develops marketing plan and grant proposals.
Responsible for membership development.
Analyzes federal legislation for its impact on public health programs.
Deputy Director of Public Affairs, 2000 - 2006
Information Officer, 1987 – 2000, 2007 - present
California Department of Public Health
Sacramento, California
Directed a staff of nine in managing the public affairs activities of a state health department with 6,000 employees and a $38 billion budget.
Served as senior counselor to the Director, Chief Deputies and the Executive Staff on communications and public affairs. Advised on the promotion of public health initiatives and programs and the public relations implications of policy decisions. Identified and analyzed the need for public health information. Planned, coordinated and implemented effective communications strategies.
Served in lead role in issues management, overseeing the creation, coordination and implementation of media strategies.
Cultivated, established and managed relationships with local, state and national news media, and key department external and internal stakeholders. Orchestrated media relations activities on high profile topics including AIDS, bioterrorism, childhood obesity, health care for undocumented immigrants, foodborne illness outbreaks, Medi-Cal, nursing home violations, pandemic influenza, teen pregnancy and West Nile virus. Served as department spokesperson.
Managed all aspects of crisis communications efforts, including media relations, during highly controversial episodes that impact the health of millions of Californians. Issues included statewide shortage of influenza vaccine, potentially faulty mammograms by a regional hospital, the nation’s largest outbreak of SARS, smallpox vaccination of health care workers and the nation’s largest number of West Nile virus illnesses and deaths.
Oversaw the department’s award-winning media campaigns that helped achieve record statewide reductions in youth and adult smoking, infant mortality and births to teen mothers. Campaign components included education and outreach, paid advertising and media relations.
Established and served as co-lead of the department’s bioterrorism education campaign, which raised public awareness statewide of smallpox, other bioterrorism agents, and state and local preparedness efforts. Oversaw $1.1 million campaign contract that includes two public relations agencies. The campaign was noted by the Institutes of Medicine for its innovative efforts to educate local health departments and the public about smallpox and its “Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Tool Kit” was cited for excellence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.