Developing new innovative therapies and new diagnostic options to patients requires complex understanding of disease state, patient selection, regulatory process and more. Communication is essential at every stage of the health and science lifecycle, including during the development of technologies, products, and services to improve the lives of patients.
Communication is crucial whether it involves treating current and incoming patients or sharing patient information with another facility or a group of doctors, nurses, or specialists. A compliance program is imperative to ensure that legal, ethical, and professional standards are met and communicated throughout the entire healthcare system.
Likewise, LaVoieHealthScience (LHS) helps health and science organizations extend visibility and optimize value for their technologies, products, and services. LHS designs and executes strategic communications programs, including public relations and marketing as well as investor relations and corporate communications.
Donna LaVoie, President, and CEO of LaVoieHealthScience, launched the agency in 2001, following a successful corporate career with signature biotech companies such as Genzyme Corporation (now Sanofi) and Alkermes, Inc., where she led strategic communications functions during tremendous growth, including product and business launches as well as international geographic expansion.
Through Donna’s passion for health and science, LHS is ranked among the Top 30 independent healthcare communications agencies in the United States according to O’Dwyer’s 2022 public relations firm rankings, one of Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing private companies, and Boston Business Journal’s 2022 Fast 50 representing the 50 fastest growing companies in Massachusetts. She has also fostered strong relationships with other thought leaders in the field to solidify various strategic alliances broadening LHS’ healthcare capabilities.
In 2019, Donna led LHS into a strategic alliance with Omnicom Public Relations Group (DAS Group of companies) to bring health companies a broader set of capabilities and geographic expansion of services bringing over 2,000 experts worldwide to LHS clients.
Dynamic Leadership
Donna is a proven strategic communications leader in health and science innovation. She is a trusted advisor on strategic communications issues, especially around complex issues where multiple stakeholders are affected. She brings a unique combination of public and investor relations expertise, including product launch experience.
For over 21 years, Donna’s efforts have been focused on building LHS’ health and science consulting practice while overseeing key account strategies, agency strategic direction, core competency, and methodology development, as well as growth strategies and team development.
Donna is also passionate about giving back to the health and science ecosystem by participating in conferences, whether it be on a panel or teaching methodology around developing a company presentation using The LHS Fifteen-Slide Presentation® methodology. She also sets the culture for the agency to give back to the community as a member of the Board of Advisors of Life Science Cares, a collaboration of companies in the Boston area working to reduce poverty.
While talking about the company’s operations, Donna shared, “We help our clients create awareness, gain recognition, and achieve optimal value for their initiatives, technologies, products, and businesses. Our expert team of investor relations and public relations professionals design and execute communications programs that allow a client, product, or initiative to reach its goals. We deliver a proven track record of designing and executing creative, strategic programs that effectively position and engage key stakeholders, with measurable return on investment.”
Values for the Long Run
Core values of the agency center around passion for humankind and supporting clients who are developing innovations to improve patient lives whether that is in medical technology, digital health, bioscience, or pharmaceuticals.
LaVoieHealthScience is a fast-moving firm with a collaborative, creative approach customized to its clients’ businesses. LHS prides itself on leading with strategic intent and delivering based on that premise.
The Eyesight of the Future
Speaking about the vision of LHS’ services, Donna said, “Vision is an interesting word and something we ask our clients about all the time. We are carefully building an agency with a keen focus on health with services in investor relations and corporate communications as well as public relations and marketing. We believe that staffing with a combination of industry specialists and functional area leads is a winning formula.”
The Assumed Responsibility
While talking about the solutions and services LHS offers, Donna says that the agency leads with its proprietary LHS Immersion® methodology to help clients discern their market position, messaging, and go-to-market strategy with a keen focus on external feedback and competitive views leading to the development of a BluePrint Plan setting the course of communications, whether the client is public or private taking into consideration customized messaging for all target stakeholders.
LaVoieHealthScience specializes in animal health and science, autoimmune diseases, CAR-T, cell and gene therapy, CNS, CRISPR, immuno-oncology, lysosomal diseases, MedTech, medical devices, neurodegeneration, oncology, ophthalmology, precision medicines, rare disease, RNA, and regenerative medicine. The agency creates and executes investor and public relations programs with a targeted market focus and/or a global point of view.
Integration of AI and ML in the Health Care Industry
According to Donna, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) continue to drive opportunity and results for healthcare, and the current times demand that the industry continue to embrace and nurture the integration of AI and ML into its workstreams. We see it’s use across many areas, including drug development.
Data is robust, and when you consider that an electronic health records (EHR) system, for instance, can hold valuable information and best practices that can help clinicians make real-time decisions and dramatically improve the patient experience at the bedside, there can be no turning back.
She continues, “In the IR and PR world, AI is playing a role in tracking company communication, stakeholder sentiment as well as identifying differences that aid in decision making around investment decisions in public companies. It’s complex but being used quite regularly.”
Providing Unique PR to Clients
When speaking about communication solutions to meet clients’ requirements in the healthcare niche, Donna exclaims, “That is the million-dollar question.” She further states that strategic communication will always win the day – providing insights and teaching others. Donna believes, “We are all evolving and being able to provide clients with a unique perspective and point of view is mission-critical to our business.”
The agency’s experienced and multi-disciplined team provides seamless, integrated communications, offering strategy consulting to investor and corporate communications as well as public relations and marketing initiatives.
A Note of Advice
As an established leader, Donna believes that this industry is comprised of those who want to make an impact. While advising the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into healthcare, she says, “It’s not for the faint of heart. It is an exciting business with extraordinary demands which delivers on its promise. It’s an industry like no others, and it is infectious to be working with companies and people who truly want to make a difference.”
Futuristic Approach
Building off its trademarked LHS Immersion®, The LHS Fifteen-Slide Presentation®, LHS Reach™, and additional products in ESG and social media, Donna says that the agency maintains high expectations and has built an industry-leading consulting model agency that leads with strategy followed by execution. LHS brings its clients an experienced multi-disciplined team of strategic thinkers, enhancing the depth of internal resources.
Achievements to Note Down
LaVoieHealthScience brings over 21 years of industry-tested counsel, over 450 proven strategies for its clients, and differentiated communications programs to engage key stakeholders. LHS is honored to have won over 60 awards across multiple communications disciplines and is rated among the Top 30 independent healthcare public relations agencies by O’Dwyer’s PR, one of Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing private companies, and Boston Business Journal’s Fast 50, representing the top 50 fastest growing companies in Massachusetts.
