Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC (PPMW) provides reproductive health care, education, and volunteer opportunities across the DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia region. As a Senior Communications Associate, I led many of the communications strategies designed to increase patient awareness, expand visibility of health services, and strengthen donor engagement.
My work spanned patient outreach, donor communications, and executive visibility, with a particular focus on reaching Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities. This included campaigns to increase awareness around gender affirming care, primary care, and reproductive services, while also elevating PPMW’s leadership in the national conversation on reproductive rights.
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Following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, I helped execute a comprehensive crisis communications plan that reassured patients and informed the public that abortion remained legal and available in the DMV. Within 24 hours, I coordinated messaging across every platform: press releases, social media, website updates, supporter emails, internal staff communications, and patient-facing notices. This rapid response secured national and local media coverage, positioning PPMW as a trusted health provider in a moment of uncertainty.
Beyond crisis comms, I led several major campaigns that expanded PPMW’s impact:
Vasectomy Campaign: I executed the launch campaign when PPMW became the first Planned Parenthood affiliate to provide vasectomies, creating press releases, patient communications, and digital content that elevated the organization as a pioneer in reproductive health access.
Gender Affirming Care: I oversaw messaging around gender affirming care, ensuring communications were accurate, compassionate, and affirming for transgender and nonbinary patients.
Content Marketing Strategy: I developed a blog content strategy designed to reach patients through culturally relevant stories and relatable storytelling, creating a sustainable pipeline for ongoing patient engagement.
Fundraising Support: I created donor-facing communications that helped raise over $10,000 for PPMW’s annual gala.
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I also provided consistent leadership for executive communications. I drafted remarks, speeches, and talking points for leadership, prepped spokespeople for media interviews, and ensured message alignment across departments. As the team shrank, I managed a communications intern and a consultant, while also overseeing day-to-day management of PPMW’s social media accounts.
My work helped achieve:
Consistent social media growth across followers, reach, and engagement
New branded newsletters for patients and supporters, increasing awareness of services and health center updates
High-level media coverage, including placements in The Washington Post, Voice of America, WUSA9, WTOP, Bethesda Magazine, and Bay News 9
Successful earned media from press releases I wrote, including the announcement of medication abortion at home services, which was featured in The Washington Post, DCist, and DC News Now
The work I am most proud of centers on vasectomies and gender affirming care. These campaigns allowed me to expand PPMW’s reach, frame the narrative around inclusive health care, and build trust with new patient populations.
