Fitzgibbon Marketing wins Statewide Recognition

June 29, 2017

Fitzgibbon Hospital received eight awards at the recent Show-Me Excellence Awards for Healthcare Marketing on Thursday, June 22, at the Lake of the Ozarks.  The annual Show-Me Excellence Awards are held each June at the Missouri Association for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Conference (MAHPRM).  This year, Fitzgibbon Hospital submitted eight items in seven categories and placed in the top three for all submissions.

“Each year, we go through all of our events, ad copy, radio spots, articles and newsletters to find the items we feel will perform well against submissions by other hospitals,” said Richard DeFord, Marketing Coordinator for Fitzgibbon Hospital.  “This year we submitted more entries than we ever have, and our team was so encouraged by the recognition by our peers for all of our hard work.”

Fitzgibbon Hospital earned first place for the “Many More Celebrations” billboard promoting 3D mammography at Fitzgibbon. The bright pink billboard is visible along US 65 Highway northbound, just south of Marshall. It won the Outdoor Advertising category, in which it placed against much larger hospitals. Liberty Hospital and MU Healthcare won second and third place in the category. Additionally, Fitzgibbon Hospital’s “Pink Out” activities, which was originated several years ago by Cancer Center staff, won first place in the Cooperative Partnership category, again competing against much larger hospitals or systems.Saint Luke’s Health System and North Kansas City Hospital took second and third place.

Additional awards were as follows:

Advertising – Print, Production under $1,500 – Fitzgibbon took both second and third place in the category behind MU Health Care.  Fitzgibbon Hospital received second place for the “Come See Our Moms” ad, promoting obstetrical care, which ran in the St. Peter Auction Guide featuring the OB/GYN team of Karen Song, M.D., Megan Shepard, CNM, and Deanna Donnell, CNM.  The ad, “Holiday Mishap?” highlighting the 24-hour availability of the Emergency Department of Fitzgibbon Hospital during the holidays, took the third place award.

Best PR/Marketing Project for a Small/Rural Hospital – SoutheastHEALTH of Cape Girardeau took first place in the category.  Fitzgibbon Hospital tied Cass Regional Medical Center for second place for the “Go, Slow, Whoa” display used at area back-to-school events.  It features a stoplight theme and educates children about healthy and unhealthy food choices. The green for “go,” indicating it is OK to eat healthy foods, slow down (with yellow) for some foods, and red for “whoa,” or stop, before consuming unhealthy foods such as soda and sugary treats.

Internal Publications/Routine –Production costs under $1,000 – Fitzgibbon Hospital won second place for its monthly employee newsletter, “The Faxx.” North Kansas City Hospital won first place in the category, with MU Health Care winning third place.

Writing for All Other Audiences – Fitzgibbon Hospital won second place for an article about Dr. Clinton Pickett, orthopedic surgeon, and the leg-lengthening surgery he performed which allowed his patient to be able to retire his uneven shoes after 40 years.  The article was written by Amy Weber, Fitzgibbon’s manager of Business Development and Governmental Relations, and who oversees the Marketing and Public Relations Department at Fitzgibbon.  First and third place in the category went to SoutheastHEALTH in Cape Girardeau.

Special Marketing or Public Relations Projects – Fitzgibbon Hospital placed third overall for its “Many More Celebrations” campaign, which focused on the availability of 3D mammography at Fitzgibbon. The campaign included outdoor advertising, digital advertising and print.  SSM Health from St. Louis and Ozarks Medical Center in West Plains took first and second in the category, respectively.

“We have an excellent marketing team, and we are really proud of Amy, Richard and Cindy. This recognition is testament to the dedication, skill, and hard work they display in everything they do.  For Fitzgibbon Hospital to perform this well against organizations that are much larger than us, it just underscores the kind of quality that this team puts forth every day,” said Dr. Darin Haug, President and CEO of Fitzgibbon Hospital.