Hospital Happenings newsletter scores national recognition

Internal staff digest places third across Canadian hospitals

May 7, 2012

Jason Harnett, NGH communications development officer with Judy Brown, HCPRA President and Director of Communications and patient relations at Queensway Carleton Hospital, Ottawa

Simcoe, ON – The Health Care Public Relations Association of Canada (HCPRA) has named Norfolk General Hospital Happening’s amongst the best internal hospital newsletters in the country. At this year’s National HCPRA conference held April 29-May 2, in Calgary, Alberta, Hospital Happenings was awarded third place in the Internal Newsletter category.  The Pulse –Montreal Jewish General Hospital in Quebec was selected second place with top honours going to Covenant Health in Edmonton, Alberta for their newsletter Our Compass.

“I was really overwhelmed when I received the good news just a few days prior to the national conference,” said Jason Harnett, communications development officer and editor of Hospital Happenings. “To be amongst the best in the country is a real accomplishment for NGH and a testament to the work we do. We’re a small hospital with minimal resources. To receive this recognition feels great,” said Harnett.

Hospital Happenings was judged on a number of criteria including; statement of purpose, target audience, strategy, key messaging, human and financial resources, measurement of results and communication objectives and goals. Judges commended Happenings for its content value, clinical information, photos, attractiveness and easy to read layout. HCPRA judges were also impressed by the excellent focus on a wide range of people, effectiveness on a very modest budget, ability to provide a good sense of facility and prominence of the CEO.

Hospital Happenings is a monthly publication which began in 2008. The internal publication is distributed to staff, volunteers and physicians electronically and in print. The purpose of the newsletter is to serve as a central source for internal communication and connect NGH, The Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home, the NGH Foundation and the Volunteer Association with valuable internal information, news, announcements, initiatives and positive outcomes.

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Jason Harnett

Communications Development Officer Norfolk General Hospital