Patient advocacy groups are shifting the healthcare landscape, bringing patient and caregiver perspectives to the forefront and helping to drive funding, research, innovation and new therapeutics. 

Few experts in the media planning industry have greater insight into the role of patient advocacy groups than Walt Steenbergen, Mediaspace Health’s VP, Healthcare Growth & Strategy.

Walt’s interest in healthcare and patient advocacy dates back over 20 years – when his first son was born with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF), a very complicated incurable genetic condition. At the time when Walt’s son received this diagnosis, there were no available treatments.  

Walt’s quest as a father to find out about the condition led him to dive deeply into the healthcare space, including launching and Co-Chairing a chapter of The Children’s Tumor Foundation. The organization supports other parents and adults with NF, and advocates for treatments, including the FDA approval for the first treatments for plexiform neurofibromas, one of the complications of NF.

Walt’s personal work as an advocate also led him to make a professional pivot, and he has devoted his professional focus to healthcare more than 20 years ago. He developed specific expertise in initiatives related to rare diseases, resulting in a depth of knowledge which he brings to clients at Mediaspace Health. 

For marketers looking to make connections with increasingly important advocacy groups, patient and caregiver marketing requires thoughtful media strategies and targeted media programs that meet them with trusted information in respected and relevant media environments. 

From patient and caregiver marketing to rare disease strategy, Mediaspace Health’s focused expertise and purpose-built leadership is uniquely qualified to develop and optimize media strategies that are built for real-world performance.