Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards - 2024

Campaign: The Disposables
Agency/Firm: FCB Health New York, an IPG Health Company
Client: The Ohio State Medical Association, American Medical Association and the Ohio Hospital Association

Hundreds of physicians die by suicide each year, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Many clinicians, however, are required to report mental health history as part of licensing requirements, which can dissuade them from getting help.

The Ohio State Medical Association, American Medical Association and the Ohio Hospital Association sought to raise awareness about this issue through its “Disposables” campaign: to show that physicians are anything but.

The organizations partnered with FCB Health New York to create a campaign featuring portraits of four real-life physicians who died by suicide, made from donated medical items. Some of the materials — which included gloves, pill caps and tubing — were sourced from the four doctors’ families and former employers.

As part of the campaign, which won silver for Purpose-Led Category of the Year in the advocacy category, the organizations organized an exhibition of the portraits for healthcare leaders and stakeholders in September for Physician Suicide Awareness Day. They also mailed “ask for help” brochures and questionnaires to every physician in Ohio, according to the agency.

The exhibit has now begun traveling to different states outside of Ohio and was recently featured at the American Medical Association’s national meeting.