Client: St. John’s Transgender Health Program
Industry: Healthcare (Gender-Affirming Care)
Partnership Duration: Ongoing since 2021
Products Used: Custom-branded tote bags, lip balms, notebooks, seasonal items, fidget toys, pens, rubber ducks and more.
Talk with: Kazumi Yamaguchi, Director of Trans Health & Support Services and Veronica Yvett Fernandez, Program Manager, THP at St. John’s

A single pen from St. John’s Transgender Health Program helped an indigenous woman in a rural community access the gender-affirming care she needed. This is just one example of how thoughtful promotional materials can create an everlasting impact.

Background

St. John’s is a vital healthcare provider serving underserved communities. Their Transgender Health Program offers life-changing services, including gender-affirming care, HIV prevention, and mental health support. Guided by a mission to eliminate healthcare disparities, St. John’s strives to create a safe and welcoming environment for all individuals seeking care.

The Challenge: Overcoming Limited Outreach

Before partnering with HealthMerch, St. John’s lacked resources to effectively promote their transgender health services. Outreach was restricted to basic flyers and posters, which failed to make a lasting impact.

The lack of engaging materials hindered their ability to build community trust and awareness, particularly as they sought to expand services into new counties.

The HealthMerch Solution: Creative, Inclusive Promotional Strategies

Recognizing the challenges, St. John’s partnered with HealthMerch to create a custom promotional strategy tailored to their mission. From eye-catching tote bags and lip balms to trans-themed pens and fidget toys, HealthMerch provided innovative and inclusive products that resonated with their community.

“HealthMerch made it easy to work with them. Benjamin and his team always deliver exactly what we need—even with our unusual requests for trans-themed designs.” 

By incorporating seasonal and region-specific products—like sunglasses for summer and body lotion for winter—St. John’s ensured that their giveaways were both practical and meaningful.

Impact and Results: Transforming Outreach and Expanding Access

The partnership between HealthMerch and St. John’s has had a profound impact, with results seen across multiple areas:

• Increased Community Engagement:
  Event participation soared from 2-3 events annually to 31-40 events per year across three counties, allowing St. John’s to reach more people than ever before.
• Higher Patient Sign-Ups:
  Contact sheets at these events grew dramatically—from 2-3 per event to 25-30, translating into over 4,400 patients served annually in Los Angeles County alone.
• Building Trust:
  Through custom-branded materials like trans-themed pens and stress balls, St. John’s was able to initiate crucial conversations about services like HIV prevention and PrEP. Patients, particularly from underserved and rural areas, felt a deeper sense of trust in the program, making it easier for them to seek care.

Key Success Story: Bridging the Gap with a Pen

One of the most powerful success stories comes from an indigenous woman in a rural area who accessed gender-affirming care after spotting a St. John’s-branded pen at a local event.

“Hearing that our promotional products reached someone who didn’t have access before is so rewarding. It shows that these items are more than just giveaways—they’re bridges to care.” 

That pen didn’t just advertise services; they provided an entry point for someone who previously had no access to gender-affirming healthcare.

Looking Ahead: Expanding Access to New Communities

With the success of their partnership with HealthMerch, St. John’s is poised for further expansion. They are now working to extend their services into the Coachella Valley, reaching even more underserved communities.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with HealthMerch. Staying innovative and current with our promotional materials is critical to meeting our patients’ needs.” 

Conclusion: Promotional Products as Conversation Starters

This partnership proves that promotional products can be more than just giveaways—they can be transformative tools that foster connection, trust, and increased access to essential healthcare services. HealthMerch helped St. John’s amplify their outreach, turning simple materials into powerful conversation starters that connected underserved communities with life-saving services.

“HealthMerch has truly been a game changer for us,” says Veronica. “HealthMerch doesn’t just provide products—they provide solutions that meet our and our patients’ needs.”

Key Takeaways:

• 40+ events annually, up from 2-3 events, demonstrating exponential growth in community engagement.
• 4,400+ patients served, driven by effective promotional strategies and outreach efforts.
• Increased trust and visibility, especially in rural and underserved areas, with community members actively seeking out St. John’s services.

Custom-branded materials like pens and tote bags served as powerful conversation starters, leading to deeper engagement and better health outcomes.