When the kids.health.2001 campaign began, 34,000 children in King County did not have health insurance, even though about 20,000 of these children were eligible for free health insurance. The social and economic impact of this situation is staggering. Minor and preventable illnesses often develop into serious, lifelong medical problems for uninsured children. In addition, uninsured children frequently require treatment in hospital emergency rooms, where costs are the highest. Washington State Hospital Association contacted PRR to do something about it.

kids.health.2001 was an unprecedented partnership of King Countys eight largest hospital/health care systems and 15 key organizations, including Seattle Public Schools and Public HealthSeattle/King County. PRR developed and implemented a comprehensive public relations and marketing campaign to boost enrollment of eligible children in health insurance programs. Through research, we identified a list of 31 potential barriers including language and culture, confusion over eligibility requirements, and mistrust or fear of government. Due to the personal nature of these barriers, PRR created a two-part strategy. A mass media component deployed radio and TV advertising, retail partnerships, and media relations to educate and create a favorable environment. The grass-roots component relied on trusted advocates, such as family support workers or outreach workers helping homeless teens, to make one-on-one contact to enroll children. Through these combined efforts, more than 15,107 King County youth were enrolled in free or low-cost health insurance. The communications industry recognized kids.health.2001's brilliance by awarding it three Public Relations Society of America Totem Awards of Excellence, two Telly Finalist Awards, and an award for social responsibility from Women Executives in Public Relations.