Health Sciences Office of Communications Wins PRSA Awards
The University of Arizona Health Sciences Office of Communications took home two Awards of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America – Southern Arizona IMPACT Awards ceremony Oct. 25. The award-winning entries included a communications campaign for Cannabis Awareness Month and a social media campaign highlighting Women in Health Sciences.
(From left) Erica Rankin, Lesley Merrifield, Stacy Pigott, Kris Hanning, David Mogollon and Margarita Bauza represented the Health Sciences Office of Communications at the Southern Arizona PRSA IMPACT Awards.
“These IMPACT Awards of Excellence are a testament to the strength and success of our public relations efforts, which are vital to creating a strong brand reputation for the University of Arizona Health Sciences,” said Stacy Pigott, interim associate vice president of communications for UArizona Health Sciences.
The Cannabis Awareness Month campaign in April featured researchers from the Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, an initiative of UArizona Health Sciences. Two feature stories, a video and social media-exclusive content comprised the campaign that highlighted the work of UArizona Health Sciences researchers studying cannabis as a potential non-opioid pain reliever.
The Women in Health Sciences social media campaign aligned with Women in Medicine Month, celebrated nationally in September. The campaign featured 18 women from the five UArizona Health Sciences’ colleges. Each researcher was highlighted with high-end portrait photography along with their responses to five questions. Additionally, a photo gallery was created capturing each portrait and a quote.
The UArizona Health Sciences Office of Communications was created in 2019 to establish the UArizona Health Sciences brand and build awareness and engagement with internal and external audiences including faculty, staff and students, health care consumers and thought leaders, peer institutions, and corporate and community partners.
“We are grateful to the faculty and staff who take the time to share their research and stories with us. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them,” Pigott said. “Their innovative work is a constant source of inspiration as we craft impactful strategic communications that promotes the Health Sciences brand, strategic initiatives, research and accomplishments.”
The Public Relations Society of America, Southern Arizona Chapter serves the professional communications industry through advocacy for excellence and ethical conduct, providing continuing education opportunities and supporting networking opportunities in the community.