Epilepsy Foundation and Advance Local Forge Strategic Partnership to Enhance Digital Engagement with the Epilepsy Community

 

LANDOVER, Md. — The Epilepsy Foundation and Advance Local, one of the largest media groups in the U.S., announced today a strategic alliance to further expand the Foundation’s strong digital engagement to better serve the more than 3.4 million people in the U.S. living with epilepsy. The partnership significantly enhances the Foundation’s comprehensive digital footprint and outreach to people with epilepsy, supporters and epilepsy centers around the country.

“As the largest national epilepsy advocacy organization, we remain focused on strengthening our efforts to support our community, not only face-to-face, but also through digital channels,” said Philip M. Gattone, M.Ed., president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation. “Our collaboration with Advance Local provides a great solution to take our digital platform to the next level and create new tools to engage with our community. We are excited to work with Advance in our fight to END EPILEPSY® and make a significant difference raising awareness and extending our reach.”

Epilepsy is one of the most common serious brain disorders and one of the most underfunded given the numbers affected. It also lacks the awareness, engagement and mobilization that a disease of its magnitude and pervasiveness deserves.

As part of the partnership, Advance Local will help the Epilepsy Foundation create a multiplatform content hub to showcase the considerable progress being made in epilepsy treatment and research. They will also enhance the Epilepsy Foundation’s website and expand its social media presence.

“We are excited to leverage our expertise and capabilities to increase the information that is put into the hands of the broader epilepsy community,” said Randy Siegel, CEO of Advance Local. “We look forward to working with the Epilepsy Foundation, leading neurologists, dedicated scientists and major hospitals that are doing important work in this field. There are so many compelling stories that need to be told nationally as well as locally.”

Merging the Epilepsy Foundation’s and Epilepsy Therapy Project’s websites in 2013 established the largest and most comprehensive digital hub in the world for seizure information and education — epilepsy.com. In the last year alone, the site hosted 13M+ sessions for 9M+ users worldwide. In addition, the Foundation uses social media as a key communications and engagement platform. With a following of more than 215,000 people on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, these channels are powerful education and awareness tools that generated 25M+ impressions and 575,000 engagements in the past year.

About Epilepsy

According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder worldwide with no age, racial, social class, national or geographic boundaries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3.4 million people in the United States are affected by epilepsy. It is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions.

About the Epilepsy Foundation

The Epilepsy Foundation is leading the fight to END EPILEPSY®. With a network of nearly 50 partners throughout the United States, the Foundation connects people to treatment, support and resources; leads advocacy efforts; funds innovative research and the training of specialists; and educates the public about epilepsy and seizure first aid. For more than five decades, the Epilepsy Foundation has shone a light on epilepsy to promote awareness and understanding, and to advocate for laws that matter to people with epilepsy, while also funding $65 million for epilepsy research and supporting 3,076 epilepsy investigators and specialists in their early careers. Over the past 17 years, in partnership with the CDC, the Epilepsy Foundation has helped to improve access to care for people with epilepsy, expanded its digital reach and online resources in homes across the country, and trained more than 500,000 school and community personnel in how to recognize seizures and administer seizure first aid. The Foundation has also assisted more than 108,000 people through its 24/7 Helpline in the past five years, and continues to focus on innovation, new therapies, community services, advocacy and education as key priorities. To learn more visit epilepsy.com or call 1.800.332.1000. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Advance Local

Advance Local, one of the largest media groups in the United States, operates the leading news and information companies in more than 20 cities, reaching more than 50 million people monthly with its quality, real-time journalism and community engagement. Advance Local, part of Advance, includes MLive Media Group, Advance Ohio, Alabama Media Group, NJ Advance Media, Advance Media NY, MassLive Media, Oregonian Media Group, Staten Island Media Group, Advance 360, The Alpha Group, Headline Studio, and Enterprise Digital Innovation team.

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Epilepsy Foundation
Jackie Aker
310.846.9272
jaker@efa.org

Advance Local
Margo Coble
212.286.6569
mcoble@advancelocal.com