Ever sit down to write and feel like your brain has staged a walkout? That's me this week. But whenever that happens, I remind myself of something: the difference between an amateur and a professional is the ability to push through friction.
Writer's block is just friction. And if you make your living writing, you've got to push through it. So that's what I'm doing right now.
The good news? The rest of this newsletter was already written (I always save the intro for last).
Here’s what I’m covering this week:
Audiences!
Hang out with us in Chicago and/or Dallas
Learn about Shadow Regulators
HHS clearly isn't giving up on patient privacy
Let's get to it...
Product Update: 🚨 Audiences 🚨
Last week, I shared a big milestone: the launch of Freshpaint Audiences.
This week, I want to double down because this one’s too important to miss.
Audiences is more than a feature. It’s the unlock healthcare marketers have been waiting for:
Lookalike modeling to expand reach without wasted spend
Retargeting to bring patients back
Exclusions and custom lists to keep campaigns sharp and efficient
And here’s the kicker: it’s all privacy-first, built for healthcare, and ready to run across your ad platforms.
If you skimmed past it last week, here’s your reminder: this is the start of privacy-first targeting at scale. And it’s going to change the way you market.
Join a growing community of healthcare marketers, digital leaders, and privacy champions who are rewriting the rules of patient engagement. At Freshpaint LIVE, you'll connect face-to-face with industry peers, learn from bold innovators, and explore how to deliver high-performance marketing without compromising patient privacy.
This is your front-row seat to real-world strategies, practical insights, and candid conversations that are shaping the future of healthcare marketing. We’re bringing the community to you. Check out where we are headed next below.
Lake Michigan Dinner Cruise Aboard the Chicago Elite
📅 Wednesday, September 17, 2025
⏰ 6:00 PM CT
📍 Departing Promptly at 6:30PM CT from Navy Pier
Chicago sets sail with a private yacht dinner on Lake Michigan. Connect with fellow marketers over skyline views, curated food, and genuine conversation. This is more than a meal, it’s an unforgettable night on the water with fellow healthcare marketers. RSVP now.
Wind down after the SHSMD sessions with drinks and networking at the Rathskeller Speakeasy. This hidden Dallas gem is the perfect spot to swap stories, share strategies, and connect with other healthcare marketing professionals. Bonus: You don’t need to be a SHSMD attendee to join us. Everyone is welcome! Sign me up!
Gather around the table at SER Steak + Spirits for a night of good food, great views, and even better company. Connect with SHSMD peers in healthcare marketing for meaningful conversations and fresh perspectives. Bonus: You don’t need to be a SHSMD attendee to join us. Everyone is welcome! Save your seat now.
On-Demand Webinar Discover how Priority Health built a seamless, privacy-first data-to-performance pipeline that actually delivered results. In this on-demand webinar, see how Amsive and Freshpaint combined predictive modeling with compliant data strategies to drive real member retention, without compromising on privacy. You’ll learn how smarter, data-driven targeting can cut campaign costs, reach at-risk members across channels, and turn privacy into a performance advantage.
In this on-demand webinar, legal and marketing experts break down the latest regulations targeting pixels and cookies in healthcare marketing — and share actionable strategies to help payers stay compliant without compromising digital performance.
Fresh Content: Shadow Regulators
Cyber insurance is becoming healthcare’s shadow regulator.
Even if you’re technically compliant with HIPAA, insurers are now digging deeper into your marketing practices—especially when it comes to tracking technologies like pixels and cookies. Underwriters are asking tough questions, adding exclusions, and sometimes denying coverage altogether if they think your data practices increase liability.
For healthcare marketers, this means compliance isn’t just about regulators anymore. It’s about making sure your organization is still insurable.
We break down why insurers care so much about tracking tech, how it impacts coverage, and what proactive steps you can take to protect both compliance and
HHS just sent another clear signal that patient confidentiality remains top of mind.
OCR released Part 2 of its compliance guidance for providers, this time focused on substance use disorder (SUD) data. The update reinforces that HIPAA protections alone aren’t enough. 42 CFR Part 2 imposes even stricter rules on how SUD information can be shared.
The message is unmistakable: providers must treat certain categories of patient data with heightened care, and marketing teams should expect continued scrutiny on how health information is used.
