Public Affairs, Rural Health staff earn Emerald Awards for exemplary work

September 21, 2020

Staff members in the Office of Public Affairs at KU School of Medicine-Wichita, along with Rural Health Education & Services staff, recently received Emerald Awards from the Kansas Association of Health Care Communicators for excellence in public relations and marketing efforts. 

Emerald Awards are given annually to Kansas hospitals and health systems that excel in internal communications, external communications, special events, advertising and other categories. Three marketing professionals from Georgia with extensive experience in health care marketing evaluated 54 entries into this year's Emerald Awards competition for planning and research, implementation, cost effectiveness and results.

Staff members receiving the awards from the Office of Public Affairs are Belinda Venters, associate director of Public Affairs; Jennifer Eaton, senior communications coordinator; and Darcy Gray, digital communications coordinator. Anthony Pafford, multimedia and marketing coordinator working at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita campus, received the award for Rural Health Education & Services.

The 2020 Emerald Awards were announced Sept. 11 during the Kansas Association of Health Care Communicators Virtual Fall Conference, with 29 Emerald Awards and 25 Certificates of Merit presented, including the following:

• Emerald Award for External Communications - Newsletter awarded to Public Affairs, KU School of Medicine-Wichita, for its e-newsletter
• Emerald Award for External Communications - Other Publication awarded to Public Affairs, KU School of Medicine-Wichita, for Embark magazine
• Emerald Award for Digital Media Projects awarded to Public Affairs, KU School of Medicine-Wichita, for its student volunteer Instagram video
• Emerald Award for Advertising - Digital/Social awarded to Rural Health Education & Services, KU Medical Center, for the "We're on a Mission Campaign" for the International Medical Education and Mission (IMEM) Award

KU School of Medicine-Wichita