By Terrica Hendrix
News-Leader staff
LITTLE ROCK – Howard Memorial Hospital won two Diamond Awards earlier this month during the 2017 Arkansas Hospital Association Awards Dinner in Little Rock from a program that recognizes excellence in Arkansas hospital marketing and public relations.
For more than 20 years, the Diamond Awards program has recognized excellence and encouraged improvement in the quality, effectiveness, and impact of health care, marketing, and public relations in Arkansas. The program is sponsored by the AHA and the Arkansas Society for Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations.
The competition is open to all AHA members, hospital marketing, and public relations employees.
“The process of choosing the Diamond Award winners changed in 2016, and only one entry per category and bed size is chosen for the Diamond Award,” HMH Administrative Director Kim Turbeville said.
“The judges had a difficult time determining the winners from the 99 entries in the overall program. This year, Howard Memorial Hospital received two Diamond Awards: Advertising – Total Campaign category for the OP Radiology – Spanish and English and Foundation category for the 2016 Gala – Masquerade. In addition, we received four Certificates of Excellence: Advertising – Print/Digital Print category for EBooks & Blogs; Annual Report Category for Community Report FY 2015; Publication category for Engage Magazine and Publication category for HMH News,” she said.
There are four divisions in which Diamond Awards and Certificates of Excellence are awarded:
Hospitals with 0 to 25 beds;
Hospitals with 26 to 99 beds;
Hospitals with 100 to 249 beds;
Hospitals with 250 or more beds;
HMH – which has 20 beds – competed in the first division.
HMH has received 11 Diamond Awards since 2010 and numerous certificates of excellence and honorable mentions.