Health Media Network Acquires National Marketing Rights to America’s Minority Health Networks, Launches Hispanic Health Network

Health Media Network (HMN), the fastest-growing digital point-of-care media company in the U.S., is launching its newest information and education network created specifically for Hispanic healthcare physicians and consumers.  The HMN Hispanic Network is supporting nearly 9,000 doctors reaching close to 4.5 million Hispanic consumers at the point they receive healthcare services.

In May, HMN acquired the exclusive national marketing and sales rights to America’s Minority Health Networks (AMHN). This deal included both Spanish language and African-American-focused medical information content and networks. As a result, the HMN Hispanic Network now supports 8,692 physicians delivering 4,321,505 impressions.

“At HMN we recognize that the Hispanic community has certain medical conditions and thus, specific health needs,” said Christopher Culver, president and CEO at HMN. “We are the first point-of-care information provider to address these needs across such a wide direct-to-consumer platform.”

The 2011 U.S. Census Bureau population estimate states that there are approximately 52 million Hispanics living in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hispanic health is often shaped by factors such as language/cultural barriers, lack of access to preventive care, and the lack of health insurance. Major causes of illness and death among Hispanics include heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.

HMN’s Hispanic Network facilitates conversations between doctors and patients at the care delivery site with a documented immediacy that drives specific patient actions and requests vital to healthy living. In national examination surveys, Hispanics are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanics to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician. They have higher rates of end-stage renal disease caused by diabetes, and are 50 percent more likely to die from diabetes than non-Hispanics.

By Eddy Aguilar Saba

The Truth About Bicultural Consumers and How Marketers Are Taking Notice

Cultural Identity Is Crucial and Should Be Represented in Media

By: 

Marina Filippelli

 

I am what you would call a completely bicultural and bilingual Hispanic, living and working in the United States. I use both languages for work and at home, to communicate with friends, family and in general in my day-to-day life.

I could easily move through life in a completely English-speaking, Americanized world. But I choose not to. That's why I need to be marketed to in a special way. Because I consume media and culture in both languages, I am invested in my heritage and perhaps most importantly, I want my children to have the same interest and respect for both how they are different and how they are like others in their world.

I'm not alone. Statistics show that a majority of Hispanics want their kids to speak Spanish, even when they themselves are not completely Spanish-dominant. That may portend the longevity of Spanish-language media, but more importantly it shows the significance of culture; our lives are not just about language.

Culture is different for everyone, but as marketers we need to know that, unlike past immigrants, today's groups are not looking to melt completely into the pot; they are adamant about maintaining  things they define as cultural differences, and they want these to be represented.

Sometimes these differences are not obvious to Hispanics themselves, but they are nonetheless vital for marketers to understand. Our company recently conducted a study of Hispanic millennials, most of whom spoke just enough Spanish to keep their parents off their back.  They did not consciously verbalize their "bicultureness." Some insisted that they weren't interested in defining themselves by their ethnic background. But it was there in almost all of their choices: TV shows, music, products they consumed, people they admired. To them it was just part of who they are, so deeply ingrained that it didn't warrant a separate definition or an explanation. 

This generation may not be aware that people in the business world are taking notice of how they are different. To them it probably seems normal that TV networks are producing shows in English with Hispanic themes, like "Quinceañeras." Why not, that's how they grew up. Why wouldn't it be on TV? It probably also seems completely normal that in Los Angeles, Miami or New York, you can tune in a radio station where the music is top 40 pop and the DJs seamlessly flow between English, Spanish and Spanglish. This year several contestant on NBC's popular show "The Voice," sang in Spanish, and they made it clear that their dream was to work with Shakira, the Colombian pop star who appears on the show and who has had more hits in Spanish than English.

Still, if we take a broader look, there is a long road ahead. Shonda Rhimes, the creator of popular TV series like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal,"  recently named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people, has been vocal about the lack of multicultural representation in the entertainment industry.  Rhimes recently tweeted, "Hey @abcfbunheads: really? You couldn't cast even ONE young dancer of color so I could feel good about my kid watching this show? NOT ONE?"

Jennifer Lopez, one of America's most famous entertainers, said the following at this year's upfronts, "Generally speaking, television doesn't accurately portray the lives of Latinos today.  So even though I'm on TV, when I turn it on, I don't see me." She has recently joined NUVOtv, a small cable network  generating programming that Latinos don't see on the main English language networks.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently discussed its need to expand and diversify its ranks by relaxing a cap on membership that has restricted new admittances since 2004. A 2012 Los Angeles Times study found that nearly 94% of academy voters are white, and 77% are male. Blacks make up about 2% of the academy, Latinos less than 2%. Oscar voters have a median age of 62, the study showed.

Why are these changes taking place? Because a movie ticket brings in the same revenue, no matter who buys it, and the entertainment industry is starting to realize that not all of us feel represented watching white males dominate the culture we consume.

As those creating content shift to try to be more inclusive, so are marketing departments nationwide. While some marketers have addressed the needs of multicultural segments of the population for years, some are still in the Stone Age. Some may still think that consumers like myself  don't need to be addressed separately from their general market, but when you consider that over 40% of millennials are not white, do you really want to take that chance?

Latinos Prove To Be Early Adapters

By: Eddy Aguilar Saba According to the Pew Research Center, Latinos are proving to be some of the biggest users of technology in the nation.  They have far surpassed usage of other groups in America for smartphone ownership, going online from a smartphone device and using social networking sites.  Furthermore, it seems that that they are also some of the earliest adapters.  This is partially driven by the fact that much of the Latino population is young.  Nielsen refers to these findings and calls Latinos, “one of today’s most engaged and dynamic populations in the digital space.”  Today, 72 percent of Latino internet users say they are on social media sites as compared to 58 percent of all U.S. internet users according to the Pew Research Center. What are the implications for the Latino community?  Latinos have been able to capitalize on this technological edge and use social media as a platform to affect change.  Social media was used to bolster Latino voter registration during the presidential election, it was used to promote immigration reform and it was used to advise students on how to secure temporary legal status from President Obama’s deferred action program.  According to a recent article, the virtual “iMarch” on Washington last month to promote immigration reform was one of the largest social media advocacy efforts in history.  This reveals a glimpse into the future where savvy Latino activists will have the power to generate momentum through social media and have the ability to leverage this power to affect positive change for the community.

A NEW MOVE FROM CNN

CNN Films, a production and acquisition unit of CNN Worldwide, has acquired another film at the Sundance Film Festival. Partnering with Magnolia Pictures, CNN has acquired the U.S. rights to the documentary “Blackfish,” about the history of killer whales in captivity leading up to the 2010 incident at Sea World that resulted in the death of a trainer by the whale Tilikum. The film will be released in theaters this Summer and shown on CNN in the Fall.

Established last year, as first reported by TVNewser, CNN Films is the result of a reorganization of two documentary units, combined into one department focusing on acquiring documentaries from outside production companies.

CNN Films isn’t just dipping its toe in the documentary water. It dove in at Sundance, hosting a party Friday in Park City to announce other acquisitions and three new projects from filmmakers.

CNN has acquired the U.S. broadcast rights to a documentary about the life of Roger Ebert, based on his memoir, Life Itself. “Girl Rising,” a documentary about nine girls from around the world struggling to get an education, will make its theatrical debut in March followed by a broadcast premiere on CNN in June. “Girl Rising” is produced by former ABC News executive producer Tom Yellin. A sneak preview was given last night at Sundance.

“CNN is proud to announce these production agreements at this festival which has done so much to support independent storytelling,” says Mark Whitaker, managing editor of CNN. “Our aim at CNN Films is to showcase the work of exceptional documentary filmmakers and to build conversations around the issues they raise across our global platforms.”

Un Angel

Escrito por: Eddy Aguilar Saba

Un Angel

En una de las entrevistas de Katie Couric, Jon Von Jovi fue uno de los invitados en una programa especial para hablar sobre el devastador Huracán Sandy, que azotó a gran escala la costa este de los Estados Unidos, dejando decenas de muertos, una inimaginable destrucción económica y hasta el día hoy más de 1 millón de personas sin servicio de luz, agua y miles sin hogar. Antes de la llegada de Sandy, Jon Von Jovi estaba en Londres, su esposa se había quedado en New Jersey. Ellos, como muchas familias, no querían evacuar pero decidieron al final salir e irse a Manhattan. 

Jon Von Jovi abrió una organización de ayuda que se trata de un restaurante llamado “Soul Kitchen”, que da alimento a familias o personas necesitadas. Las personas pueden ir a comer y dejar lo que puedan de dinero o nada si es que no cuentan con los medios en ese momento. El restaurante se mantiene abierto desde ya hace un año y medio; El y su esposa lo administran. El restaurante esta en el área donde Sandy dejó un severa destrucción.

Jon Von Jovi al regresar de Londres para ver a su familia se encuentra con un impresionante destrucción de su comunidad, en sus propias palabras vecindades enteras desaparecidas. Decide quedarse en New Jersey y ayudar a todos los afectados por medio de su restaurante dando alimentos  a familias necesitadas y literalmente cuenta Jon Von Jovi, que hasta el día de hoy se mantiene trabajando 24 horas para lograr tener suficiente alimentos para todos los necesitados.

En el programa de Katie El cuenta como anécdota, que tres días después de la llegada del Huracán Sandy, necesitaba comprar pavo para hacer sándwiches a miles de personas haciendo cola en el restaurante. Al recibir la orden se da cuenta que no tenia nada de efectivo en el bolsillo y le dice a la persona que le hace la entrega del pavo, que  por favor lo ayude y que confíe en El, que le pagaría al día siguiente. La persona que hacia la entrega del pavo sin saber que hacer, y con toda la gente en el restaurante esperando por sus comidas, decide esperar a que consiga el dinero. En ese instante una niña de aproximadamente 11 años entra el restaurante, se va directamente a Jon Von Jovi y le dice: Me llamo Alexis “Sandy for Candy”, fue una idea que tuve y decidí vender en una esquina todos los chocolates que no pude intercambiar para Halloween y vendí $400 y quería entregarle todo el dinero para su restaurante. Jon Von Jovi sin palabras recibe el dinero. Los $400 fueron directamente a la persona que entregaba el pavo. En la confusión Alexis se desaparece del restaurante.

Al día siguiente después de toda la confusión. Jon Von Jovi regresa al restaurante con Dorothy su esposa, para seguir con la labor, y recuerdan el anécdota. Llegaron a la conclusión que un ángel se les apareció en ese momento con el dinero. Hasta ahora no han podido encontrar a la niña Alexis.

Cambiando Prioridades.

Por: Eddy Aguilar Saba

No podía dejar de escribir la historia de Cristina y Simón, una pareja de esposos que decidieron cambiar prioridades enfocándose en sus finanzas. Definitivamente ellos no están en competencia con los Joneses o las kardashians, o la típica familia Americana en búsqueda de tener siempre más.

Después del shock mundial del septiembre 11, ellos que ahora ya tienen 45, decidieron hacer una reevaluación de sus prioridades. Con dos niños de 10 y  8, tomaron la decisión de mudarse a una casa mas pequeña y a otra vecindad. Cristina renunció a su trabajo corporativo, que por cierto trabajaba más de 50 horas a la semana, para quedarse en casa después que naciera Romo, su primogénito. Hoy en día, ellos viven en un pueblo en el estado de Massachusetts con sus dos hijos. El trabaja como profesor de una escuela pública y ella desde su casa se dedica a la Filantropía.

Cristina y Simón tienen aproximadamente dos meses de ahorros, en una cuenta corriente, en caso que Simón por alguna razón pierda el trabajo. Tienen aproximadamente $10,000 invertidos en varias casas financieras para cada uno de los hijos. Simón contribuye con su sueldo al 100% con su plan de retiro y tienen dos cuentas de retiro separadas, que viene casi todo del trabajo anterior de Cristina. Todo lo tienen invertido en fondos mutuos.

Simon y Cristina tienen juntos un seguro de vida y algo invertido en un seguro en caso de discapacidad. Llevan consigo un prestamos hipotecario, un pago mensual de $350.00  en un préstamo de un auto, un crédito de $4,000.00 con el banco cuando decidieron hacer una renovación en su casa hipotecada, que esperan poder saldarlo en los próximos 4 meses.

A pesar de todo, Cristina esta muy feliz de estar en casa y cuidar a sus pequeños hijos, sin embargo le preocupa constantemente saber que le faltan unos 15 años más para poder ahorrar lo más que pueda, para que su retiro tenga algún valor, sus hijos puedan ir a la escuela, tener algo de dinero adicional para ayudar a sus padres que se están envejeciendo, y que sus hijos estén bien seguros cuando les toque ir a la universidad y estén listos para enfrentar sus responsabilidades de adultos y su independencia. Pues ella esta pensando en conseguir un trabajo para poder darle esa flexibilidad, de lo contrario con el trabajo de Simón, no será suficiente para poder tener esa tranquilidad que todos queremos cuando la luz del trabajo se apague y empiecen a recolectar su seguro social y aplicar para Medicare.

No es fácil, dice Simón, vivir en un país poderos, con una familia y con un sólo trabajo. A pesar de vivir en un suburbio donde todo es mucho más económico. Cada 3 meses Cristina y yo nos sentamos a ver nuestros presupuestos para asegurarnos que no nos hemos pasado del presupuesto asignado. Ahora ellos planean para el 2013 tomar unas vacaciones de dos semanas y llevar a sus hijos a un tour en unas montañas. Todos los días Cristina entra a Internet para ver si los precios han bajado, están esperando a ver si baja el precio de avión, ya que son 4 en la familia.

Cristiana y Simón se consideran personas “muy ahorrativas”. Toman su tiempo de diversión pero con mucha precaución con los gastos. Ya no van a hoteles, prefieren buscar amigos o familia cuando viajan. Y a donde van llevan comida en la mochila de los hijos para eliminar gastos. Así es America ahora, dice Simón, los dos con una sonrisa en la boca.

“Nuestras prioridades ahora son asegurarnos que nuestros hijos lleguen al college bien, ser felices y tener algo de dinero cuando nos jubilemos” recalca Simón. Por ahora sólo nos preocupa tener más dinero ahorrado, ya no queremos ser ricos y famosos, eso ya no es una prioridad, enfatiza Cristina.

Cuando Cristina y Simón decidieron casarse, los dos tenían vidas muy acomodadas, buenos trabajos, buenos amigos, buenas vacaciones, buenos carros y muchas prioridades, como por ejemplo ser ricos americanos.

Sus prioridades cambiaron. Sus finanzas cambiaron. Las ganas de vivir y el amor por su familia es mucho más grande que ser ricos americanos. 

The Arab World.

The fall of dictatorships does not guarantee the creation of free societies. There is often a period in which we witness the legacy of tyranny. The Arab uprisings have overthrown tyrants in Egypt and Libya, but the populations and lawmakers have yet to grasp that democracy is not only about free elections but creating free societies.

When sexual harassment of women increases on the streets of Egypt, when centuries-old shrines of Muslim saints are destroyed with explosives in Libya, when screenings of films such as "Persepolis" trigger riots in Tunisia and Christian minorities across the Middle East feel under siege, then we must stop pretending that all is well with the Arab Spring. But all is not lost either.

Arab societies are on a journey. They can easily take the wrong turn. The attacks on the American embassies in Libya, Egypt and Yemen are examples of the ongoing presence of intolerant, tyrannical actors in Arab societies.

These are people who were born and raised in dictatorships. They are accustomed to thinking that a government controls its citizens -- that a film or documentary cannot be produced without government approval. For decades, this has been the reality of their lives, and they strongly believe that the Western world and its citizens have a similarly controlling relationship between individuals and government.

In light of this assumption, they hold the U.S. government responsible for the tacky and distasteful film. The Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy has called for the prosecution by the U.S government of the filmmakers, and Egypt's top cleric, Mufti Ali Goma, has called on the United Nations to forbid denigration of faiths. Morsy studied in the United States and Ali Goma regularly visits the West on the interfaith circuit, yet both men don't yet grasp that religious freedom and the freedom of expression are inextricably linked in America.

It is hard for younger Arabs not born into freedom to understand how individual liberty works in real life.

The freedom to proselytize also guarantees the right to apostatize. Heresy and blasphemy are essential parts of free and democratic societies. Arab activists cannot seek to emulate the West's political and social achievements by looking at the United States and Europe today, but must observe and learn from the religious battles of 17th-century Europe, the smashing of the tyranny of the Roman Catholic Church, the ending of burning witches and the forbidding of hanging heretics.

The Arab uprisings are not over yet. They are still unfolding and shaping the future. This culture of shouting and killing those with whom Muslims disagree must end. When the Prophet Mohammed's companions shouted "Allahu Akbar," (meaning "God is Greatest," a popular slogan for those yelling outside embassies today) the prophet reprimanded them saying "Our Lord is not deaf."

Ed Husein