Public outreach efforts that take a data-driven, motivation-research approach is the type of work that Artemis thrives on. We were proud to partner with Neimand Collaborative and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) on their initiative to efficiently expand Medicaid for North Carolinians. In late 2024, NC Medicaid reached their goal of bringing affordable health coverage to 600,000+ in record time.
On March 27, 2023, Governor Roy Cooper signed bipartisan House Bill 76, Access to Healthcare Options, into law. It was hailed as a once-in-a-generation investment that would help approximately 600,000 North Carolinians have access to NC Medicaid through expansion in its first two years alone. A little over a year since the day expansion launched (Dec. 1, 2023)—twice as fast as projected—North Carolina delivered on that promise.
Important strategic implementation efforts included the following:
- Aligning communications with operations
- Valuing and resourcing the talent and expertise of advocates, community organizations, providers and influencers as trusted messengers
- Enacting a web strategy driven by user testing and using easy-to-understand language
- Reaching people where they were through events and live telephone halls
- Creating culturally and linguistically appropriate messaging, strategies and materials
- Using organic and earned paid media
The report summarizing the approach and effots [PDF] can serve as a playbook for effective public outreach and engagement that motivates people to take action.
For more of our public outreach research for NCDHHS, check out this case study highlighting COVID-19 vaccine adoption intentions across North Carolina in 2020.
