Public Relations

Copyright © Margaret Michaels 2008 All rights reserved
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Client:  Mindstream
Business:  Public Relations
Project:  Press Release announcing one-man gallery show

Gallery honors 89th birthday of eminent Valley artist Eugene Grigsby

Scottsdale, Ariz.  Eighty-nine master paintings and etchings—including several works never viewed by the public—are the focal point of "A Retrospective Exhibition" at Heddenart Gallery in Scottsdale, Ariz. Celebrating the influential achievements and lifelong contributions of educator and artist Eugene Grigsby, Jr., this elite public event will run from Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 through Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007.

"We are excited to serve as the hosts for this landmark exhibition in honor of a true creative leader," said Randall Hedden, owner of Heddenart Gallery. Dr. Grigsby's contributions as an artist, educator, author, researcher, lecturer, and mentor have inspired and touched millions of lives. As an advocate for the African American people—and humanity as a whole—he leads by doing. The impact of his artistic creations and his personal guidance have always inspired and uplifted by direct example."

Nationally recognized and acclaimed by colleagues such as Jacob Lawrence and John Biggers, Grigsby’s paintings are included in significant collections of African American artists from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to the Cape Coast Museum in West Africa. His work has also been featured in one-man shows and group exhibitions across the nation. A renowned promoter of leadership opportunities and improvements in learning and social environments for African Americans, Grigsby has translated his passions into emotionally evocative works on paper, woodcuts, lithographs, screen prints and paintings. His early works focused on the life around him and later turned toward images from African mythologies and Afro-Brazilian deities. Grigsby's body of work stands as a living museum, reflecting more than five decades of 20th century change in African American art.

Along with his direct involvement in art and education, Grigsby has worked tirelessly through organizations like the National Art Education Association and founded the Consortium of Black Organizations and Others for the Arts (COBA) to drive his ideals of transformation into reality. Grigsby has served as vice president of the National Art Education Association, president of the Arizona Art Education Association and a Trustee of the Phoenix Art Museum. Even at age 89, his leadership continues to be felt in COBA, the Booker T. Washington Child Development Center's Head Start program, and the Arizona Opportunities Industrialization Center.

For more than five decades, Grigsby has played a leading role in the valley art and educational communities. He first relocated to Arizona at the end of World War II to teach at the segregated George Washington Carver High School in Phoenix. Upon the school's closing in 1954, he moved to Phoenix Union High School and joined the ASU faculty in 1966, retiring in 1988. He holds degrees from Morehouse College, Ohio State University and New York University, including a doctorate in art, art history, and art education.

Client:  PremierGarage Franchisee
Business:  Upscale garage finishing business
Project:  Press release for local media

PremierGarage of Mohave County
Introduces One-Stop Garage Enhancement

Lake Havasu, Ariz.   Led by the husband and wife team of Chris and Karen Hede, PremierGarage is now delivering a one-stop solution for the "the ultimate garage" to residents of northwestern Arizona.  Headquartered in Lake Havasu City, PremierGarage of Mohave County also serves Bullhead City and Kingman as well as surrounding rural areas.  Supported by an industry-leading national corporation, the company specializes in providing and installing garage cabinetry, flooring, and organizers that are designed for unrivaled quality, durability and lasting beauty.

Karen Hede explained the appeal of a PremierGarage dealership as a family business by citing the corporate commitment to quality and service.  "Like many people we know, our garage is literally the front door we use everyday," she said. "Arizona families rarely have basements for added storage, so garage organization becomes a real challenge. Chris and I both saw this often overlooked room as a space that should offer the same beauty and utility as the rest of the home.  And with the PremierGarage reputation for state-of-the-art products and peerless installation, we could offer the industry's best with the added value of custom designs and one-stop convenience."  PremierGarage comes to the customer, bringing computer-aided drawing capability for immediate 3-D viewing of potential plans and on-site quotations.

With 20 years of prior construction experience, Chris Hede is excited about serving builders, remodelers and designers as well as current homeowners.  In his words, "We offer full-package programs that create another source of revenue for homebuilders and developers while they increase home value—all without any extra work or worry. PremierGarage attends to every detail. New-home buyers who want to design the ultimate garage can often roll those upgrades right into their mortgages."

For more information about the full line of PremierGarage products and services, contact PremierGarage of Mohave County directly or visit the corporate Web site at www.premiergarage.com.  By clicking on "Dealership Locator," potential customers can even schedule an appointment with Chris and Karen Hede online.

Client: McAward & Associates
Business:  Marketing and Public Relations
Project:  Press Release for newly minted concierge medicine group

Mesa Physician Facilitates Launch of
"Personal Choice" Medical Practices in Arizona

Mesa, Ariz.    Michael J. Lucherini, M.D., is announcing the availability of exclusive licenses for his Preferred Physicians Program®, specifically designed for Arizona physicians.  Commonly referred to as "concierge" or "boutique" medicine, programs like Lucherini's PPP are springing up across the nation as a solution to patient overloads and impersonal service.  Although these programs vary greatly in scope and annual fees, they all represent a contract between the physician and a patient for services that fall outside the scope of coverage of insurance plans or Medicare.  These patient-paid fees allow doctors to dramatically reduce the number of patients in their practice and give them a chance to offer a level of attention that is impossible within the structure of today's healthcare system.

Some of the many advantages offered by such programs include same-day appointments, emergency walk-in care, 24-hour telephone or e-mail access to the doctor, and even house calls.  Patients often enjoy exclusive reception areas and are guaranteed a brief wait for appointments.  If a patient requires a specialist, the appointment will not only be expedited but the physician under contract may even be present to answer any questions or clarify medical terms.  The same reassuring presence would be possible should a visit to a hospital emergency room ever be required.  Wellness examinations, health updates, and additional services that might be negotiated with individual patients can all be part of the select package of services.

"For years I have shared with my patients the ideal of being able to support their healthcare needs in a more personalized and relaxed setting," said Lucherini. "With many physicians seeing as many as 35 patients in a 12-hour working day, the rushed delivery of impersonal healthcare is a frustration for all of us.  That's why I was so intent on researching the new wave of personal-choice medical practices across the nation."

Instead of joining one of the established national groups, Lucherini decided to create a program that would be custom-tailored for Arizona physicians.  "The regulations and laws that govern a medical practice are very state-specific," he said. "Starting from the foundation of my own Preferred Physicians Program gave me the confidence that every detail had been considered and adequately resolved.  Now that my own program is successfully in place, I can offer the benefit of a smooth path to interested licensees.  The investment of time and money has already been made, from legal fees to communication tools that facilitate a gradual and gentle transition process."

Lucherini is sure that he is not alone in his desire to provide more personalized healthcare delivery that brings a great deal more satisfaction to doctors and patients alike.  He plans to limit the licenses under his Preferred Physicians Program to ensure participating Arizona doctors a protected territory.  Sprawling metropolitan centers like Phoenix and Tucson provide a number of license possibilities, while smaller towns like Cottonwood or Payson may only support one.  The most likely candidates for the program would be primary care physicians and pediatricians.

"I fully realize that this new program is not for every physician or every patient," said Lucherini.  "At the same time, it opens the door for an entirely new dimension of healthcare delivery for those who desire it.  Ironically, the close relationship between patient and doctor that this program makes possible may seem like something new but it really reflects a simpler time.  Knowing each patient by name, being aware of the family history, acting as a wellness counselor, calling a patient just to check up, making house calls—this is the way medicine was practiced a hundred years ago in small towns across the country.  For me, the most exciting aspect of personal-choice medicine is the integration of highly personalized service and the miracles of modern healthcare.  For the right physicians and the right patients, the Preferred Physicians Program will undoubtedly be the best of all worlds."

Client:  Searer, Robbins & Stephens
Business:  Privately owned dialysis centers and dialysis services
Project:  PR placement and writing of article for architectural journal

Close Client Involvement
The Critical Ingredient to Architectural Success

The verdict is in and the jury agrees: Close collaboration between architect and client was a major contributor to the resounding success of the new DaVita, Inc. dialysis center in Scottsdale, Arizona. Facility administrator Gary Hamilton had a simply stated but ambitious design goal: "I wanted our patients and teammates to have the most aesthetically pleasing, calming, ergonomic, and efficient dialysis facility in the nation." Thanks to support from DaVita management and flexibility on the part of the architectural firm of Searer, Robbins, & Stephens, that vision of excellence is now a reality.

Searer, Robbins & Stephens has always believed that a team approach including the client is the key to ultimate satisfaction in the end result. In working closely with Hamilton, however, the architects were integrating more than the input of select executives or managers. Hamilton interviewed nurses, technicians, laboratory personnel, office administration, the receptionist, the dietitian, the social worker—and patients. Many of the features that make the Scottsdale facility so outstanding came directly from their suggestions and ideas.

Converting Scottsdale Office Space

Because the new dialysis center in the heart of Scottsdale replaces a facility that has served patients for more than two decades, location was paramount. DaVita wanted to ease the transition for current patients but also offer a convenient location for seasonal residents and visiting patients. The newly opened dialysis center enjoys nearly 10,000 square feet of first-floor space at the secluded end of an attractive office building near Scottsdale's largest shopping mall. Adaptive reuse offers definite cost and time advantages over ground-up construction, although this approach never fails to present unique challenges. The oversized windows along one side of the building, flanked by a sidewalk, were both positive and negative. Abundant glass provides natural light, but it also raises issues of privacy. SRS architects are adept at selecting and positioning window treatments that maintain a "bright and open" atmosphere as well as the desired level of seclusion.

Patient Care — First

Adapting existing property for any health-care facility always begins with the design of the patient care floor. In SRS designs and in DaVita reality, every element of the Scottsdale center revolves around the core activity of caring for patients. The DaVita teammates preferred a circular rather than a linear layout for patient stations in order to maintain face-to-face contact. Technicians never look at the back of a patient's head or strain to see a patient along a row of stations. The Scottsdale center separates the circular layout into four pods, each one with a subtle design difference. Beyond enhancing patient visibility, this approach allows technicians to rotate for a slight variation in their working environment.

Although design elements in adaptive/reuse dialysis facilities are influenced by the size and layout of the basic structure, the SRS design creates an open feeling of spaciousness. The sense of privacy on the patient care floor does not preclude the high degree of visibility throughout the facility. Strategically positioned windows between rooms and openings in the walls that separate the patient care floor from the main hallway make this possible. Passing through the wide, automatic front doors, patients and family members enter an inviting lobby. The low reception counter with wheel-chair access provides enough height to ensure adequate privacy. Just a few steps from the reception counter are the offices for the dietician, the social worker, and the business administration. The administrative assistant can see in a moment when the receptionist needs relief. The nurse, dietician, social worker, and even laboratory personnel all have a clear view of the patient care floor.

Advanced infection control protocols and overall efficiency drove many of the decisions that make the new Scottsdale dialysis center so exceptional. Every surface and material from floor to ceiling was carefully selected for durability and easy cleaning. Staff suggestions were invaluable in reducing extra steps and workload while maintaining the highest possible standards. Small conveniences like the location of files or availability of supplies create a more highly organized, flowing work environment and reduce the time required for repetitive tasks. From the layout to the finishing touches, every inch of the Scottsdale dialysis center reflects careful thought and planning. Concern went beyond the patients to the comfort of their families, reflected in details like the addition of a soft-drink machine in the lobby.

State-of-the-Art Technology

In addition to the most advanced reverse-osmosis water purifying system on today’s market, the center relies on highly sensitive alarms alert personnel of changes in pressure and other key indicators before a severe problem can develop. The periphery of the water room features a trench drain to protect against flooding should any catastrophic break occur. Each room in the center that is accessible to patients offers an emergency pull cord, and DaVita teammates can identify the patient who needs assistance at a moment's glance. In the later evening hours, security screens allow the supervising nurse to monitor the front door and automatically lock the door to the patient care floor.

Even the electronic media that is available at each patient station goes the extra mile in offering quality and variety. Patients enjoy individually controlled overhead televisions, user-friendly remote controls, comfortable headphones, and abundant options for audio and video selections. While many dialysis facilities provide options for audio-visual entertainment, the Scottsdale center adds the innovation of Internet access for laptop computers.

Aesthetic Elements

Like most health-care facilities, dialysis centers pose a challenge in meeting clinical needs like infection control while offering a comfortable, pleasing atmosphere. Lighting on the patient care floor has to be bright enough for a clinical environment yet critically positioned to allow patients to sleep or enjoy television without annoying glare. Harmonizing natural with artificial light can provide workable solutions. Where skylights are not a viable option, a series of smaller windows above eye level can bathe the room in natural light without compromising privacy. The lobby or reception area of the dialysis facility expands the options for aesthetic elements, including special recessed lighting, decorative greenery, window treatments, or fascinating aquariums.

DaVita's recently opened $1.6 million Scottsdale facility has already set a benchmark for its future facilities. Gary Hamilton will be joining several other DaVita representatives on Team Genesis in the development of design standards for existing and planned dialysis centers. SRS President Larry Searer comments on the achievement, “Thanks to the teamwork and collaboration that went into the Scottsdale design, DaVita has an outstanding facility that brings together ‘best practices’ from every possible viewpoint."