CommunicateHealth Celebrates 10th Anniversary
NORTHAMPTON — CommunicateHealth announced its 10th anniversary as a national consulting firm specializing in health information design.
CommunicateHealth started as a consulting practice focusing on translating health information into plain language. Co-founders Xanthi Scrimgeour and Stacy Robison started the business in their Northampton attic. “From day one, the demand for our services was off the charts. There was no one else out there doing this type of work,” said Scrimgeour. The couple quickly outgrew their attic space, eventually establishing an office on nearby Market Street.
Over the past 10 years, the company has been successfully evolving into a full-service communications shop. “We’ve brought nearly every service in house, including graphic design, website development, audience research, and usability testing,” said Robison. “All the while, we’ve kept our focus on designing simple, accessible health information.”
The mission-based company works for some of the biggest names in healthcare and public health, including health-insurance companies, health systems, patient-advocacy groups, and government. They also take on projects for local hospitals and community organizations. “Our formula is simple,” says Robison. “We write and design health information that’s easy to understand, and we test it with real people to make sure we got it right.”
CommunicateHealth’s growth is exceptional, noted Scrimgeour, as 70% of businesses fail in the first 10 years. The statistics are even more dramatic when it comes to women-owned businesses. “Only 1.7% of women-owned businesses generated revenues of more than $1 million in 2018,” she said. “CommunicateHealth broke $1 million in our third year of business. In 2018, we did over $12 million [in sales].”
CommunicateHealth is headquartered in Northampton with a second office in the Washington, D.C. area. It employs more than 65 employees across both offices.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled with our arrangement,” said Scrimgeour. “We are proud to be a part of the Northampton community and have an impact at the national level.”
