Margo A. Gillman, MPH, Principal
One could say that improving the human condition is in Margo’s blood. At a young age, she heard stories of how her grandfather, a general practitioner and surgeon, drove through dangerous Chicago snowstorms to make house calls. Growing up, she watched as her father, an allergist and immunologist, rushed to the ER late at night to care for patients in distress. This left an indelible impression, instilling in Margo a deep empathy, compassion and desire to make a difference.
Her path to a career in healthcare became clear when, as a journalism student at Arizona State University, she journeyed through the Navajo Nation and reported on the problems people encountered when seeking care from the Federal Indian Health Service, due to a shortage of providers, cultural insensitivities and language barriers. This introduced Margo to the challenges inherent in our Nation’s public health system.
Soon after, Margo traveled across the nation for the long-term care coalition, HealthRIGHT, capturing compelling video testimonials from people who lacked access to affordable healthcare. This generated an award-winning national ad campaign and series of high-profile Capitol Hill briefings that gave “real people” a voice in calling for reform. Later, as Director of Public Relations for the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, she raised public awareness of in-home health and supportive services, and worked with the industry to address concerns about quality, safety and provider reimbursement.
After obtaining a master’s of Public Health at the University of Michigan, Margo joined the Health & Medical and Social Marketing Practices of Ogilvy Public Relations (Ogilvy). For nearly 14 years, she designed and directed national campaigns promoting health awareness, education and behavior change for clients, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, American Academy of Pediatrics and Merck & Co., among many others. Margo also led the successful pursuit of numerous multi-million dollar Federal contracts, positioning Ogilvy as a leader in behavior change marketing.
Later, Margo served as Executive Director of Enterprise Transformation & Internal Communications for City of Hope—one of our nation’s top academic medical centers focused on eradicating cancer and diabetes. She worked closely with clinical, scientific and administrative leaders and frontline staff to advance a host of strategic initiatives during a period of profound organizational growth and change.
Now, Margo is infusing her passion, expertise and sense of purpose into Gillman Communications. She is committed to promoting health, wellness and social impact by raising awareness, changing behaviors and improving patient, consumer and care provider experiences.
