* News & Events *

NEW YORK (April 2, 2019) – GLOBALHealthPR^® (GHPR), the world’s largest partnership of independent healthcare-focused communications agencies, today announced the promotion of Tim Goddard to President. In this role, Goddard, who has served as an Executive Vice President of the organization for the past two years, will take on expanded responsibilities including overseeing all aspects of strategy, business development, partner relations and growth of the GHPR network. He initially joined GHPR and its chair agency, Spectrum Science Communications, in 2015 following nearly a decade at Chamberlain Healthcare Public Relations, holding roles in both New York and London.

With this appointment, former GHPR President Jonathan Wilson transitions into the Chair role, and will work hand-in-hand with Goddard to set the strategic vision for the network in the coming years. Wilson also maintains his day-to-day position as CEO of Spectrum, a leading U.S.-based healthcare agency.

“Tim’s tireless work ethic, focused leadership and genuine dedication to our mission make him the perfect leader to continue to meet the evolving needs of the companies and organizations we serve globally,” said Wilson. “He has been instrumental in delivering our vision for the network of the future, where independent agencies—all successful experts in their own right—seamlessly deliver impactful global strategies anchored in strong local and regional insights.”

During his tenure, Goddard has been instrumental in expanding the reach of the network in key markets across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Africa via the addition of seven new partner agencies, as well as further enhancing relationships in emerging markets, to enable the delivery of health communications programming in more than 60 countries under the GHPR brand. He has also overseen significantly expanded investment in the business and agency infrastructure to further foster international collaboration and improve client service.

“I am truly honored to work with our outstanding partner agencies in this expanded capacity as we continue to redefine the traditional agency network model to deliver the best in healthcare communications everywhere in the world,” said Goddard. “Beyond our depth of healthcare expertise, what differentiates this network is the strong collaborative relationships between agencies—relationships that fuel exceptional global communications strategies for clients across the health and life science industries.”

Prior to his career in healthcare public relations, Tim worked as a correspondent for the Times Argus, central Vermont’s leading daily newspaper. He is a graduate of Boston College’s Wallace E. Carroll School of Management, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.

About GLOBALHealthPR^®

GLOBALHealthPR is a partnership of independently owned and operated health and science communications agencies that choose to work together based on common values. With more than 700 health-specialist communications professionals, researchers and medical advisors on staff serving more than 200 organizations globally, the agencies that make up the partnership share a belief in insights-driven strategies and a commitment to collaboration in order to provide clients the best possible counsel and execution. GLOBALHealthPR’s presence spans more than 60 countries, covering Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit www.globalhealthpr.com or follow us on Twitter: @GLOBALHealthPR.

 

 

 

February 28th is World Rare Disease Day, but why is that important? Check out our infographic to learn more about rare diseases, and how they can have a big impact on the healthcare landscape. 

Music is considered a universal language—an art form used to unite people all over the world. To celebrate the holidays this year, GLOBALHealthPR is sharing favorite songs from our partners around the world.

From raps and mashups to traditional carols, check out our holiday playlist! Then, read on to learn more about how we get in the holiday spirit.

Argentina

We celebrate Christmas with a popular song called “Los Reyes Magos,” which describes the arrival of the three wise men. This song is a part of “Navidad Nuestra,” one of the great Argentine folkloric creations from musician Ariel Ramírez and poet Félix Luna.

-Eugenia de la Fuente, Paradigma PEL Comunicación

Australia

We wanted to share Christmas songs that best encapsulate the hot down under during the holidays. While not the most traditional of holiday songs, “Aussie Jingle Bells” from Aussie Christmas with Bucko & Champs is all about the beach, BBQs, seafood and having a blast with your family!

–Kristen Bruce, VIVA! Communications

Canada

There is no shortage of Canadian musical talent! Did you know that some of your favorite traditional Christmas songs are sung by Canadians? Our go-to songs are the classic “O Holy Night,” performed by Celine Dion, and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Michael Bublé.

–Carol Levine, energi PR

France

Here in France we like to celebrate with holiday songs from around the world! A few of our favorites are from U.S. artists like Chet Baker’s “Silent Nights” and Bill Evan’s rockin’ “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” Also—who can forget about Argentinean composer Ariel Ramirez’s classic, “Missa Criola”?

–Marie-Hélène Coste, MHC

Germany

We celebrate Christmas with many songs heard around the country! Our favorite is the joyful “In der Weihnachtsbäckerei” or “In the Christmas Bakery” by Rolf Zuckowski. Who doesn’t love flour, milk and cookies? Another is “Kling Glöckchen, Klingelineling” or “Ring, Little Bell, Ring!” by Helene Fischer.

–Sabine Reinstädler, fischerAppelt

Hong Kong

During Christmas in Hong Kong, we enjoy traditional Christmas songs, but we also like to take those songs and mash them with our own Cantonese lyrics! One of the most popular comes from a cartoon called “McDull,” or “cute pig,” and is a riff on “Oh, Christmas Tree.”

We also celebrate the Lunar New Year with our favorite song「財神到」, which means “Arrival of the God of Wealth.” This song was created by Hong Kong’s most popular pop singer, Sam Hui, nearly 40 years ago. You can still hear us playing this song every new year!

–Sam Mak, Madison Communications

India

Every Diwali festival and New Year is celebrated with equal enthusiasm. While we celebrate Christmas with the same songs and carols as around the world, for Diwali we also have religious bhajans, which are songs with religious themes or spiritual ideas. We sing them for Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity. We’re sharing our favorite “Diwali Song” and “Happy Diwali”!

–Priti Mohile, MediaMedic Communications

Italy and Switzerland

Christmas is a joyful celebration for adults and children alike! One of our favorite and most well-known songs is called “Tu scendi dalle stelle,” and is traditionally sung every year by children’s choirs in schools. It was written in 1754, so it’s highly likely almost all of us have sung it at one point in our lives!

–Martin Slater, Noesis

Mexico

We have a tradition called “Posadas,” which is tied to the Christian Bible story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Like a nativity scene, we stage reenactments of Joseph and Mary’s journey going door to door looking for shelter. Once the couple has found shelter, we perform a series of songs and the party begins! We always kick off the celebration with one of our favorites, “Para Pedir y Dar Posada.”

-Paola de la Barreda, PRP

Nordics

We don’t celebrate with a traditional Christmas song… we celebrate with a popular rap song! Called “Jul Det’ Cool”—or “Christmas, It’s Cool” in English—this song is performed by MC Einar in Danish and has become a hit across the country. So, we don’t just wrap presents—we RAP them, too!

One of our favorite traditional Christmas songs is “Julebal i Nisseland.” While it’s not a rap, it brings just as much holiday cheer!

–Christian Juul Nyhus, Effector

Poland

We believe that it’s not quite Christmas without Polish Christmas carols! There are hundreds to choose from, ranging from traditional to light-hearted. There’s truly one for every mood you’re in! For your listening pleasure, we chose “Dzisiaj Z Betlejem” by Anna Maria Jopek and “Świeć, gwiazdeczko, świeć” by Arka Noego.

–Andrzej Kropiwnicki, Alfa Communications

Portugal

We celebrate Christmas with two classic Portuguese songs: “A Todos Um Bom Natal,” or “Merry Christmas to All,” and “Nesta Noite Branca” by Anjos and Susana. You can count on hearing either of these played on the radio or hummed by passerby during the holiday season!

–Jorge Azevedo, Guess What Communications

Romania

Move over Mariah Carey! Here in Romania, we have somewhat of a Christmas king, Ștefan Hrușcă. Hrușcă is known for his songs about the holiday season and we enjoy all his holiday spirit! While it’s hard to pick just one, we’ll leave you with “Deschide Usa Crestine,” or “Open the Door, Good Christian!”

Not a big Hrușcă fan? We also love Paula Seling’s “Din an in an.”

–Andreea Cristea, MedicalPR

Singapore

We like to celebrate the holidays with a contemporary and original Christmas song by one of Singapore’s most popular bands, The Sam Willows. “I’m Gonna Be Loved (This Christmas)” was released November 2018—and we’ve been playing it on repeat ever since!

–Emma Thompson, Spurwing Communications

Spain

We call Christmas songs “villancicos,” which translates to “Christmas carols.” Like the rest of our partners, we have a few that sit just a bit closer to our hearts! Our favorite is “Compana Sobre Campana,” or “Bell After Bell.”

–Juan Luis Recio, Berbes Asociados

United Kingdom

In the words of one of our favourite Christmas songs from UK rock band Slade: “IT’S CHRISTMAS!” We also think that the best part about the holiday season is the joy and giving! “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid celebrates the season of giving by reminding us that we’re the world.

–Neil Crump, Aurora Communications

United States

It’s not Christmas without a little Mariah Carey, so we had to go with the classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” You’d be lying if you said you haven’t belted out this one every holiday season!

It’s also not Hanukkah without at least one hit from The Maccabeats, an American Orthodox Jewish a cappella group! Our favorite is “I Have a Little Dreidel.”

-Michelle Anderson, Spectrum

 

Happy Holidays! We look forward to working with you in the new year. To get in touch with GLOBALHealthPR, please email ghprhq@globalhealthpr.com.

We called on GLOBALHealthPR partners from three key markets affected by the Implant Files. For their take on the immediate and forward-looking impacts, download the strategy brief.

Download the full strategy brief.

Seng becomes the first non-physician bestowed with the SAM Award for contributions to advance the understanding and treatment of Progeria, an ultra-rare rapid ageing condition

BOSTON (April 30, 2018) – GLOBALHealthPR, the world’s largest partnership of independent health and life-science communications agencies, today announced its co-founder and chair, John J. Seng, has been awarded the 2018 SAM (Science And Medicine) Award by The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF). Seng received the honor for his contributions towards finding the cause, treatment and cure for children with Progeria, a rare, fatal genetic condition of accelerated ageing in children. Seng accepted the recognition on Saturday, April 28, at PRF’s Night of Wonder bi-annual gala in Boston.

Seng is the founder of GLOBALHealthPR, as well as Spectrum Science Communications, a leading health and science public relations agency in the United States. Long considered an influential leader in the healthcare communications landscape, Seng’s vision has remained consistent since day one: to lead an agency focused solely on health and science communications, affording the freedom to put clients first and empowering employees to do their best work, all to the benefit of the patients.

“John has been an amazing friend to PRF, Sam and all children with Progeria worldwide,” said Leslie Gordon, Co-Founder and Medical Director of The Progeria Research Foundation. “For the past 15 years, John has been instrumental in advancing PRF’s mission to discover treatments and the cure for Progeria. The efforts of Spectrum and GLOBALHealthPR have helped us tell the stories of our scientific progress, raise money for research and identify patients in all corners of the world living with this incredibly rare disease. We’re proud to call John a tremendous partner and to acknowledge his remarkable leadership, passion and commitment as we present him with the SAM Award in recognition of the many lives, past, present and future, that he and his teams have touched.”

John and Spectrum, along with the GLOBALHealthPR partners, have been involved in spreading the news throughout the world for every major announcement of PRF’s progress, from the discovery of the Progeria gene in 2003 to the premier of HBO’s “Life According to Sam,” which tells the remarkable story of Sam Berns.

In 2009, experts estimated that as many as 200 children were living with Progeria worldwide at any given time, yet only 50 were identified and known to PRF. With this in mind, Seng led GLOBALHealthPR in spearheading the Find the Other 150 campaign in collaboration with PRF. Network partners embarked on a proactive, international campaign using traditional and social media to educate communities on Progeria and its symptoms, with the goal of leaving no child undiagnosed. The campaign has been overwhelmingly successful, helping PRF to identify children throughout the world. These newly identified children move on to enroll in the PRF International Registry, Diagnostics Program and  PRF-funded clinical treatment trials, all to advance the understanding and treatment of Progeria.

“On behalf of my colleagues at Spectrum and GLOBALHealthPR worldwide, I’m incredibly humbled to accept this award and to have had the opportunity to help make a difference in Progeria research,” said Seng. “The hope and optimism shown by children with Progeria, their families and PRF inspire me and the legions of colleagues who stand with me in the commitment to find a cure,” said Seng.

Prior to 2018, the SAM Award had been given only twice in seven years. The first recipient was Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, who led the discovery of the gene that causes Progeria; the second was Dr. Monica E. Kleinman of Boston Children’s Hospital, the Co-Chair of the Progeria clinical drug trials.

About GLOBALHealthPR^®

GLOBALHealthPR is a partnership of independently owned and operated health and science communications agencies that choose to work together based on common values. With more than 600 health-specialist communications professionals, researchers and medical advisors on staff serving more than 200 organizations globally, the agencies that make up the partnership share a belief in insights-driven strategies and a commitment to collaboration in order to provide clients the best possible counsel and execution. GLOBALHealthPR’s presence spans more than 40 countries covering Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific regions. For more information, visit www.globalhealthpr.com or follow us on Twitter: @GLOBALHealthPR.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Amir Khan

akhan@spectrumscience.com

+1 212-899-9730