Who Are We?

And what makes us healthcare experts?

With more than 50 years of combined, earned-in-the-trenches healthcare experience, we know what you’re up against. Many of us at Kern Health have faced the same problems ourselves—at Kaiser Permanente and Health Net, or on behalf of UnitedHealthcare and the Blues.

We’ve met and exceeded acquisition goals, provided high-quality leads to the sales pipeline and found innovative ways to engage and involve members.

And we can do it for you, too.

Whatever your objective, we can provide the key insights you need to optimize your marketing spend so that every dollar in every channel is working its hardest. With unrivaled competency in data, digital and direct, we can execute everything from a simple but effective postcard to a multimedia campaign with lots of moving parts. And we’ll do it faster than you would ever have thought possible.

Learn more about the passionate, positive people who make up our team:

The Kern Health Team

[ Russell Kern ] Founder and President, Kern Health

Russell is the founder and president of Kern Health. With more than 25 years of B2B and B2C direct marketing experience, he is recognized as one of the industry’s top strategists, authors and educators. A frequent speaker for the DMA, Russell literally wrote the book on direct marketing. It’s called S.U.R.E.-Fire® Direct Response Marketing: Generating Business-to-Business Sales Leads for Bottom-Line Success, published by McGraw-Hill. Today, The Kern Organization’s clients benefit from what Russell learned from more than 35,000 test observations and the management of more than $250 million in direct marketing investments.

[ Jim Rosen ] VP - Executive Creative Director

Jim brings a fresh perspective, a keen eye for design and rock-solid logic to the Kern’s Executive Creative Director role. Quite simply, he knows how to produce creative that makes clients smile and prospects respond. With a foundation in national brand advertising and a long history developing results-oriented creative, Jim is poised to lead Kern’s talented creative group into the future. Jim has a track record of creating award-winning drtv and multi-channel acquisition campaigns that build brand awareness and deliver record-breaking results for clients such as UnitedHealthcare, City of Hope, and SecureHorizons. His mission at Kern is to ensure that every DR campaign breaks through creatively, enhances the brand and delivers results.

[ Tom MacKendrick ] Vice President, Digital and Data

An expert at using analysis to identify actionable insights, Tom has improved ROI and program performance for clients ranging from Toyota to DIRECTV. With more than 20 years of experience in direct response marketing, analytics and strategic planning, he heads Kern Health’s Digital and Data group. Tom comes to Kern from RAPP.

[ David Jones ] Account Director

David is a highly accomplished direct marketing professional with over 20 years of experience—nearly half of which has been in the healthcare arena. At Kaiser Permanente, he developed and executed marketing strategies that drove subscriber and revenue growth in both the B2B and B2C verticals. During this time, David conceived and directed multimedia programs that leveraged data-driven CRM best practices for demand generation, sales conversion and customer retention across competing broker and direct sales channels. Prior to that, he spent more than five years as vice president of marketing for Diagnostek, Inc., a national provider of prescription drug programs.

[ Cara Marciano ] Account Supervisor

In 2010, she sought a new challenge and joined G2 Direct, where she put her pharmaceutical expertise to work on BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Pfizer brands as an Account Manager. In 2011, Cara’s passion for health and fitness drew her back to Saatchi Wellness, as she was offered the opportunity to return and serve as an Account Supervisor on a weight loss drug. The drug unfortunately did not come to fruition, but Cara’s talent landed her a key position on the HUMIRA account, where she ran their digital advertising business and in 2012, Cara was recognized at the DTC Awards as she won the Best Branded CRM Campaign award for the ideation, development and execution of the conversion CRM program for HUMIRA. This recognition earned Cara a position on various new business pitches, and she was instrumental in securing several ALLERGAN brands for Saatchi Wellness. Clients of LATISSE, JUVEDERM and NATRELLE acknowledged her crucial role in the new business acquisitions that it was conditional that Cara re-locate to Los Angeles and serve as on-site Client Liaison for the ALLERGAN business in early 2012.

[ Scott Levine ] Marketing Director

As Marketing Director, Scott Levine is responsible for driving The Kern Organization’s market and brand strategy. Also serving as Director for Video Production and Social Media Marketing, Scott brings more than 25 years of successful marketing experience to the table. Having worked with major studios such as Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, MGM, Sony, Fox and numerous others, Scott has significant high level experience in producing, directing, writing, editing and supervising post production. In addition, some of Scott’s marketing articles have been published in national web publications such as B2C Marketing Insider and others. Scott has been instrumental in the growth of our clients’ social media efforts and continues to help them grow with each success.

[ Marty Sarto ] Account Supervisor

In addition to working with Golden Rule, Blue Cross Blue Shield and WPS, Marty has over 25 years of experience developing lead generation strategies in the financial, technology, insurance and business sectors. A whiz at list selection, he oversees and manages a staff of five data and media experts.

[ Carlton Forse ] Marketing Manager

With degrees in engineering and business, Carlton has helped clients thrive in ways beyond their highest expectations. He’s overseen product design and commercialization strategy, and has worked in organizations including high-tech start-ups, emerging e-commerce companies and social media businesses. Having previously started his own company in the durable medical equipment industry, Carlton is well-versed in the nuances relative to healthcare marketing strategies.