Medical Marketing Association Presents Industry Awards, Announces Merger 4313

BUSINESS NEWS

At the beginning of June, the Medical Marketing Association (MMA) named Bridget Johnson, director of marketing and clinical communications in the renal division of Baxter Healthcare Corp. (Deerfield, IL), as the winner of its annual Delta award. The award, designed to honor leading professionals in the field of medical marketing, was announced during the presentation ceremony of MMA's International Awards of Excellence (In-Awe), held in conjunction with the association's annual conference in San Francisco.

The Delta award—formerly known as the medical marketer of the year award and first bestowed in 1998 —recognizes professionals whose work has resulted in positive changes in medical marketing, client services, patient care, and their company's success. The award also honors campaigns that have spurred advances in diagnosis and treatment, standards of care, and industry success.

Johnson was recognized for her work in promoting Baxter's peritoneal dialysis technology within the end-stage renal disease market. Baxter currently has a more than 80% market share in the peritoneal dialysis space.

In addition to announcing its annual medical marketing award winners, MMA had big news of its own to announce at this year's conference. Effective January 1, 2008, MMA plans to join forces with two other healthcare marketing organizations—the Healthcare Marketing and Communications Council and the Midwest Healthcare Marketing Association—to form a single national entity serving a membership of more than 2000 medical marketers. Membership of the Healthcare Marketing and Communications Council is based primarily on the East Coast, and MMA members have traditionally been based on the West Coast.

In combining forces, the new organization—christened the Healthcare Communication and Marketing Association (HCMA)—hopes to provide its membership with more-comprehensive educational resources, standardized training and accredited programs, improved networking and mentoring opportunities, and national recognition of excellence in marketing, communications, and education.

In recognizing that healthcare communication and marketing professionals need a central resource for career development and enhancement, HCMA plans to build a comprehensive association model that starts with programs aimed at students entering the healthcare marketing field and continues with opportunities for professional development from early-career to post-career phases.