St. Joe’s Public Relations Team Wins Three National Awards
Pictured above (left to right): Alexandria Anderson, Public Affairs Specialist; Agnes Bongers, Director of Public Affairs; Megan Bieksa, Senior Public Affairs Specialist; Maria Hayes, Senior Public Affairs Specialist; Lindsay Whelan, Public Affairs Specialist
On Tuesday, May 23, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton's Public Relations Team received three prestigious national awards of excellence from the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) for two major campaigns executed at St. Joe's hospital this past year. Taking home Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, the team was one of the organizations with the most wins.
Gold, Silver and Bronze
The campaign, "Canada's 1st Facebook Live Kidney Transplant Reaches 36 Million," received a Gold Award for Health Care Campaign of the Year and a Bronze Award for Digital Communications Campaign of the Year. Dovetale earned a Silver Award for Internal Communications Campaign of the Year.
"Our team was at the planning table from the beginning for both of these campaigns," says Agnes Bongers, Director of Public Relations. "We were able to apply our expertise in public relations strategy from the outset and work closely with other team members to not only achieve, but far surpass our initial goals."
Agnes Bongers and Alexandria Anderson, Public Affairs Specialist, went to the National Conference in PEI to receive the awards on behalf of the team. While there, they shared the research and learnings from the kidney live-stream campaign to a national audience of public relations practitioners.
"We were thrilled to have the opportunity to present at the CPRS National Conference to make even more people aware of the incredible, life-saving work that happens at St. Joe's everyday," said Alexandria. "We've had a tremendous reaction from our PR colleagues across the country to the strategy behind the live-stream. It's fabulous to be on the same stage as internationally recognized PR agencies."
PR Champion of the Year Award goes to…
Earlier this month, Dr. Darin Treleaven, received the PR Champion of the Year Award from the CPRS Hamilton local chapter for his commitment to the use of Public Relations as an effective business strategy. Along with Rick Badzioch, Dr. Treleaven has worked closely with the PR team at St. Joe's to advance a number of program goals within the Kidney and Urinary Program, while raising the profile of the program, locally, nationally and internationally.
See the results of Canada’s 1st Live-stream Kidney Transplant
The Canadian Public Relations Society
CPRS is a national organization that works to advance the professional stature of public relations and regulates its practice for the benefit and protection of the public interest.