Gail R. Safian, president of Safian Communications Inc., is a recognized leader in health care public relations. Her 20-year career has spanned positions in top management, creative and strategic account management and corporate public relations with the top public relations agencies and pharmaceutical companies. 

In the course of her career, Ms. Safian has worked with most of the country's leading pharmaceutical companies on prescription and nonprescription pharmaceuticals and health care issues. She managed many programs, including:
  • Creation of National Breast Cancer Awareness Week, which has grown over the years to Breast Cancer Awareness Month and become the model for many other consumer health education programs

    •
  • Launch of Lederle’s ProStep nicotine patch

    •
  • Rx-to-OTC switch of Schering’s Gyne-Lotrimin, the first in its category.

    •
  • Award-winning Rheumatrex (methotrexate) Sharing Innovations Program.

Ms. Safian has appeared as a guest speaker before professional, consumer and student groups, including the National Managed Health Care Congress, Drug Information Association, Women in Communications, Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, and Public Relations Society of America.

Two programs she directed won CIPRA awards for creativity from Reputation Management (Inside PR.). Ms. Safian has won several awards for her writing, including the American Hospital Association's MacEachern Award and the Clarion Award from Women in Communications. 

Previously, Ms. Safian was Executive Vice President and General Manager of MCS, a New Jersey public relations agency which she built into the #1 Hot Healthcare Agency in 1993 (Inside PR). From 1990, when she joined the agency, to 1993, the company’s fees grew to $2.85 million from $700,000. 

Ms. Safian spent six years at Burson-Marsteller, including several years as director of the health care practice at its Cohn & Wolfe subsidiary. Earlier, she founded and directed the Health Care Communications Division at Ruder Finn. 

Ms. Safian began her career as a newspaper reporter. She later served as director of public relations at a New Jersey hospital, and was active in the New Jersey Hospital Association. She then joined Johnson & Johnson Personal Products Company in consumer affairs. 

A member of the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, she serves on the Public Relations Committee of Cancer Care, Inc., and has been a member of the board of the New York University Business Forum. Ms. Safian is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Public Health Association, and the Drug Information Association. She is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Public Relations. 

She holds an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business and a BA from the University at Albany, State University of New York.