4As Rebrands Coalition for Healthcare Communication to 4As Health as Part of Next Chapter Strategy

Move Expands Advocacy, Member Offerings and Mission to Support the Future of Consumer-First Healthcare Communications

New York, NY —  June 1, 2026 —The 4As, the leading U.S.-based advertising trade association serving more than 600 member agencies nationwide, today announced that its subsidiary, the Coalition for Healthcare Communication (CHC), will rebrand as 4As Health, effective immediately. 4As Health is a subsidiary of the 4As (American Association of Advertising Agencies), based in New York and led by Executive Director Jim Potter.

Originally founded in 1993, the CHC has long championed the free flow of scientific and medical information and defended the right of healthcare professionals and the public to receive truthful, evidence-based communications. As 4As Health, the association will expand its role supporting agencies, marketers and healthcare industry communicators navigating a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape; one increasingly shaped by consumer decision-making, AI, data, personalization and growing expectations for transparent and accessible information.

The change reflects a broader transformation happening across the U.S. healthcare system. In 2025, U.S. healthcare spending reached $5.6 trillion, accounting for 18.5 percent of GDP. At the same time, agencies are navigating evolving regulatory expectations, including increased scrutiny of direct-to-consumer and healthcare provider prescription drug advertising, as well as increased focus on data privacy and AI in healthcare marketing.

“The healthcare market is at an inflection point. Bringing the CHC under the 4As brand as 4As Health underscores our commitment to both simplify our structure and champion credible, science-based communications,” said Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO of the 4As. “As part of our Next Chapter strategy, we are aligning our capabilities to deliver outcomes for our members. CHC has long worked closely with our government relations team, and this next phase deepens that alignment to better support agencies navigating policy, regulation and the complexity of healthcare.”

Recent research highlights the urgency of that shift, with just 57% of Gen Z reporting trust in primary care physicians, compared to 85% of Boomers.¹ Against this backdrop, healthcare communications are playing an increasingly critical role in helping people make informed decisions with greater confidence, understanding and trust.

“For more than 30 years, this organization has championed transparent, accurate and accessible healthcare information,” said Brian Robinson, 4As Health Board Chair and Global Chief Strategy Officer & Head of Growth, Havas Health. “But the role of healthcare communications today extends far beyond awareness. We are entering an era of consumer-first healthcare, where people are expected to make increasingly complex decisions about their health, care and finances. The evolution to 4As Health reflects our ambition to help the industry meet that moment, advancing not only advocacy, but also trust, readiness and understanding.”

Over the past year, the association has convened leaders across healthcare, marketing, media and policy to address the evolving challenges and opportunities shaping healthcare communications and public understanding. As 4As Health, the organization will continue expanding its role as both an industry advocate and a platform for collaboration, education and dialogue across the healthcare ecosystem.

As part of the transition, 4As Health will introduce expanded membership offerings and new programs designed to support both organizations deeply embedded in healthcare marketing and those looking to grow their presence in the sector. This includes a forthcoming Partner Member program for companies across the healthcare ecosystem, as well as an expanded 4As Expert Network connecting independent healthcare specialists with agencies and organizations seeking strategic expertise.

For more information, visit 4ashealth.org.

¹2025 US Healthcare Consumer Insights Survey. October 20, 2025. PwC.
https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/healthcare-consumer-insights-survey.html

About 4As Health

4As Health is the leading advocacy voice of the healthcare marketing industry and a subsidiary of the 4As dedicated to advancing accurate, credible and accessible health information. Formerly the Coalition for Healthcare Communication (CHC) founded in 1993, 4As Health represents over 150 healthcare marketing, publishing and advertising technology companies to help navigate the sector’s increasing policy and regulatory complexities, support high-quality healthcare communications, and promote the public’s and healthcare professionals’ access to truthful, evidence-based content.

About the 4As

The 4As was established in 1917 to promote, advance, and defend the interests of our member agencies, employees and the advertising and marketing industries overall. We empower and equip our members to confidently navigate the ever-changing ecosystem of the agency world. We ensure they remain relevant, are positioned to compete, and have the resources to thrive and grow. With a focus on advocacy, talent and creating impact, the organization serves 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices, which help direct more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4As includes the 4As Benefits division, which insures more than 160,000 employees; the government relations team, who advocate for policies to support the industry; the 4As Foundation, which advocates for and connects rising talent to the marketing industry by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and craft to fuel a more equitable future for the industry; and 4As Health, a subsidiary dedicated to advancing accurate, credible and accessible health information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What stays the same and changes  under the rebrand from CHC to 4As Health?

The Coalition of Healthcare Communication (CHC) rebranded under a “doing business as” (DBA) to 4As Health, or also called a “Certificate of Assumed Name” by the State of New York where the association is incorporated as a 501(c)6 non-profit trade association. As the filing is an assumed name recordal, the legal entity is still Coalition for Healthcare Communication Inc.

– What remains the same? 

4As Health continues as a subsidiary of 4As whose mission, bylaws and tax filings all remain the same, including the governance of the association by an independent board representing over 150 healthcare marketing, publishing and advertising technology companies to help navigate the healthcare sector’s increasing policy and regulatory complexities, support high-quality healthcare communications, and promote the public’s and healthcare professionals’ access to truthful, evidence-based content.

– What is changing?

In addition to the rebranding, 4As Health will continue expanding its role as both as the leading advocacy voice of the healthcare marketing industry and a platform for collaboration, education and dialogue across the healthcare ecosystem. 

4As Health is enhancing its integration with 4As to support agencies, marketers and healthcare industry communicators navigating a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape; one increasingly shaped by consumer decision-making, AI, data, personalization and growing expectations for transparent and accessible information. Specifically, 4As Health is adding staff to advocate on health data privacy and AI in healthcare issues in legislative and regulatory arenas. 

As part of this transition, 4As Health will introduce expanded membership offerings and new programs designed to support both organizations deeply embedded in healthcare marketing and those looking to grow their presence in the healthcare sector. 

This includes a forthcoming Partner Member program for companies across the healthcare ecosystem, as well as an expanded 4As Expert Network connecting independent healthcare specialists with agencies and organizations seeking strategic expertise.

Later this fall, 4As Health plans to offer an advanced member module for 4As member agencies with fractional healthcare practices.

2. When was CHC created, and how has it evolved to 4As Health:

The Coalition for Healthcare Communication (CHC) was founded in 1993 as an association of associations that included 4As, ANA and other advertising-related organizations. Membership switched in 200505 to individual advertising trade companies and CHC formally affiliated with the 4As (American Association of Advertising Agencies) in 2022 as a subsidiary, rebranding to 4As Health in May 2026. 

3. Why was the association created and for what purpose?

4As Health was established to protect and promote the free exchange of accurate, credible scientific and medical information, particularly information related to pharmaceuticals, medical products, devices, and wellness care. The organization emphasizes that undue restriction of such information can harm both healthcare professionals, patients and their caregivers. 

Its work is grounded in First Amendment protections, specifically the right of healthcare professionals and consumers to receive truthful information. The association was formed in response to concerns that government regulation and misinformation could interfere with appropriate medical decision-making. 

4. What is the mission of the healthcare communication and marketing industry?

Healthcare communication and marketing rests on the mission of helping engage and inform people so that they can better comprehend how medications, devices and healthy behaviors can positively change or save lives. Effective healthcare communication and marketing help to raise consumer awareness and to remove stigma of uncomfortable or embarrassing conditions to increase diagnoses and expand treatment options.

Healthcare communication and marketing that includes direct-to-consumer (DTC), point-of-care (POC) and healthcare professional (HCP) marketing requires a true, deep understanding of the patient community and healthcare practitioner audiences to help craft messaging that successfully informs, educates, and motivates patients and clinicians to take action.

By encouraging dialogue between patients and their medical practitioners, healthcare communication and marketing bolsters the detection of undiagnosed chronic illnesses, removes stigma associated with humiliating conditions, and strengthens treatment adherence, leading to improved health outcomes.

Find out more from the 4As Health Fact Sheet:
How Healthcare Marketing Improves Joint Decision Making and Health Outcomes