Dr. Chris Pernell

As a health equity champion, Dr. Chris understands the historical injustices permeating the health care system that continue to disproportionately impact communities of color.

With 2020 seeing the clash of two pandemics – the COVID-19 pandemic and racial injustice pandemic – how does one encourage communities to take lifesaving measures against COVID-19, while also fighting against dangerous misinformation and growing mistrust for a flawed health care system?

As a public health physician, Dr. Chris’ work has been rooted in advocating for health and racial equity in the healthcare system and bridging the gap health officials and communities they serve. As a health equity champion, Dr. Chris understands the historical injustices permeating the health care system that continue to disproportionately impact communities of color.

With a burgeoning pandemic making its way across the globe coupled with a racial justice reckoning, Dr. Chris was prepared to highlight her experience as vaccine trial participant and public health physician to instill trust in the healthcare system for historically underserved communities and debunk misinformation surrounding the virus and the vaccine.

The Situation

At the height of the pandemic, Dr. Chris felt the direct effects of the pandemic after losing her father due to COVID-19 and watching her sister, a breast cancer survivor, recover from the same virus. Motivated to honor her father’s legacy, Dr. Chris enrolled in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trials in the hopes of providing much-needed representation and advocating around the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.

WhitPR was tasked with generating national media attention around Dr. Chris’ story and positioning her as a thought leader for public health care, racial equity in health care, health disparities, and COVID-19 related topics.

The Solution

Through a series of pitches geared toward national broadcast and print media outlets, WhitPR drove the amplification of Dr. Chris’ personal profile by elevating her personal experience related to COVID-19 and her mission to honor her father’s legacy.

To further position Dr. Chris as a thought leader in the public health and racial health equity space, WhitPR leveraged Dr. Chris’ personal story and experience as a executive at a New Jersey state hospital. WhitPR also developed and edited Dr. Chris’ personal website to differentiate her personal brand from her professional capacity and serve as a hub for those seeking to learn more about Dr. Chris and her story.

The Results

WhitPR secured 25+ placements in September 2020 to August 2021 for Dr. Chris Pernell, including MSNBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, News 12, REVOLT Black News, Peacock TV, BBC, CBC and more. The news coverage generated 2.02 billion media impressions and 1.61 million coverage views.

Secured

25

Media Placements

Reached

2

Media Impressions

Generated

1

Coverage Views