Immediate Release

2008 Maggie Award Winners Honored at Awards Dinner

Best of Show Print - Pioneer Health Services

Best of Show Electronic Media - River Oaks Health System

On Thursday, April 3, the Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA) presented the 21st Annual Maggie Awards during a special gala dinner at the Marriott Hotel in Jackson. The Maggie Awards program recognizes outstanding marketing and communication work submitted by professionals from the health care sector in Mississippi. The awards are sponsored by the Mississippi Hospital Association’s Society for Health Care Marketing & Public Relations.

This year, there were over 230 entries submitted from hospitals, health systems, and other health care organizations from across the state. Only the top two entries in each category won awards, and in order to receive a “Maggie” award, an entry had to rank “excellent” in the judges’ scoring system. Out of the submitted entries, 26 Maggie Awards and 36 Awards of Excellence were selected. The judges also selected a Best of Show Print, Best of Show Electronic Media and Best of Show Overall.

River Region Health System won Best of Show Overall for their Women’s Health Expo 2008. River Oaks Health System won Best of Show Electronic Media for their Moving Forward, Rooted Solid-Surgical Specialties TV advertisement. And Pioneer Health Services won Best of Show Print for their Pioneer Health Services Toast Exhibit.

Other health care companies who were honored at the awards ceremony include Baptist Health Systems in Jackson, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Booneville, Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County in New Albany, Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Medicomp Rehabilitation Network in Magee, Mississippi State Department of Health in Jackson, Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield, North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Oktibbeha County Hospital in Starkville, Pine Belt Mental Health Care Resources in Hattiesburg, Preferred Healthcare of the Gulf Region/Health Management Associates in Biloxi, Region 8 Mental Health-Mental Retardation Commission in Brandon, Rush Health Systems in Meridian, St. Dominic Health Services in Jackson, Singing River Hospital System in Pascagoula, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

To see all of the pictures from the awards dinner and the after party, click here.

Report examines use of online health communities

A new report from the California HealthCare Foundation examines the use of online communities and blogs by consumers to exchange health and medical information. Among the sites discussed in the report are DiabetesMine, a blog for people with diabetes and their caregivers; PatientsLikeMe, a social health network and online forum; and WEGO Health, a health information portal.

"People with chronic conditions are sharing their stories with each other, not just for emotional support, but for the clinical knowledge they gain in an online community,” the author said. “Doctors are meeting online to share quandaries about challenging cases and solutions that work. And researchers are coming together with patients to learn about side effects in real-time to improve therapeutic regimens."

[ via AHA News Now ]

PR communicators can help preserve, improve health of Americans, says New York Times columnist Jane Brody

PR communicators are vital to the future of health care in this country, author and New York Times personal health columnist Jane Brody said in her April 3 keynote speech at the 2008 PRSA Health Academy Conference in Chicago. “The health care industry is sick . . . and unless we turn things around soon, we risk bankrupting the system and crippling the productivity of our society,” she said during the kickoff session for the conference on health care communications strategy, titled “Boomers, Xers and Nexters: Communicating in a Cross-generational/Cross-cultural Landscape.”

For the full story, click here.

Five steps to prepare marketing to demonstrate value in a tough economic climate

The time is fast approaching when every marketing organization will need to quantify how it is supporting key business objectives, particularly in terms of revenue generation, pipeline contribution, opportunity development, and market growth. Marketing organizations generally have too many tactical measures and not enough metrics that look at market or customer indicators or directly link marketing efforts to specific business outcomes. As a result, the marketing leadership doesn't have a way to measure and communicate its value within, across, and up—a set of relevant metrics that would enable marketers to sift through and prioritize the many requests it receives for marketing assistance. If this is your case, then here are five suggestions for how to tackle the situation.

Read the full article from MarketingProfs here.