Finest Awards

2021 Awards

Congratulations to all of our winners for their amazing work in 2019/2020! Scroll down to see our list of winners. 

• A recording of the event can be found on our YouTube channel
• The slide presentation can be downloaded by clicking here

Health Care Communicators Honored with Marketing and Advertising Awards

The Health Care Communicators of Southern California, a professional networking group, last week honored recipients of its 2020 Finest Awards recognizing excellence in marketing, advertising and communications in healthcare.

Gold, Silver and Bronze awards were presented in 31 categories, including public relations, advertising, digital marketing, writing, collateral and special events. HCCSC said 94 entries were submitted by 22 Southern California organizations for work completed between April 30, 2019, and Nov. 1, 2020. Entries were judged by members of the New England Society of Healthcare Communications.

Tri-City Medical Center received 18 awards and University of California San Diego Health took home 12 awards. Other multiple-award winners included The Super Dentists (nine awards), Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego (five awards), Scripps Health (four awards) and three awards apiece for Millennium Health and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers.

Winners of two awards included Cook + Schmid, Health Center Partners of Southern California, Lifesharing-UC San Diego Health and Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation. Single award winners included Hazel’s Army, Miller Geer & Associates, Riverside University Health System, TrueCare, UC San Diego Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, Westbound Communications and Zamboo.

The Best in Show award went to Tri-City Medical Center for its brand refresh initiative, which achieved the highest overall score among all entries.

Heather Valentine, assistant VP marketing and communications, Loma Linda University Health, was named Communicator of the Year.

“It would be an honor to receive this award in any year but it is especially meaningful this year,” said Valentine. “To be recognized by healthcare professionals of this caliber is deeply humbling and I am extremely grateful. This award is truly a reflection of the amazing team I have and the organization that I am proud to serve. I am deeply proud to be part of this industry and am excited to see what the future holds for healthcare marketing and communications.”

HCCSC officials said Valentine was recognized for innovation by applying non-healthcare-related approaches and concepts to messaging objectives. A branding campaign, called “Heroes Made Here,” increased ad value and achieved higher engagement with internal audiences and more than two million visits to web pages, HCCSC said.

Also at the event at the awards presentation, a $2,000 scholarship was presented to Argentina Fretwell, a Palomar College nursing student who is studying to earn a Spanish medical terminology certificate and become a bilingual hospice nurse. A portion of event proceeds were donated to Ronald McDonald House of San Diego.

Members of the HCCSD group include communications professionals who work in the health care, wellness, biotech, medical device, health information technology and pharmaceutical industries in San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange counties, as well as the Inland Empire. In 2019, the Health Care Communicators of San Diego merged with the Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Association to form HCCSC.

2021 Finest Award Winners

Best in Show

Tri-City Medical Center Brand Refresh - Branding Guide , Tri-City Medical Center

Advertising: Ad Campaign

Emergency Department Online Check-in Campaign , Tri-City Medical Center, Bronze

2020 TrueCare Rebrand, TrueCare, Silver

Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center Patient Testimonial Campaign, Scripps Health, Gold

Advertising: Direct Mail

Continuum by Millennium Direct Mailer, Millennium Health, Gold

Advertising: Online/Web

An Innovative Digital Strategy to Normalize Breastfeeding Among Minorities, San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency/Cook + Schmid, Gold

Advertising: Outdoor

Proudly Serving Our Community Since 1961 , Tri-City Medical Center, Gold

Advertising: Print

Miller "We Know Better" Print Ads, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital, Bronze

Print Ad: Advanced Cardiac Care Has Arrived, Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers, Silver

Tri-City Medical Center Primary Care Print Advertising , Tri-City Medical Center, Gold

Advertising: Television

Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center Patient Testimonial Television Ad Series, Scripps Health, Bronze

"We're Always Here For You" Television Campaign , UC San Diego Health , Silver

Molar Goes Back to the Dentist, The Super Dentists , Gold

Digital Marketing: Mobile Marketing

Dia de los Muertos Covid Prevention Campaign , Cook + Schmid/Latino Health Coalition , Gold

Digital Marketing: Social Media

"Brush Along with The Super Dentists"/TikTok Launch, The Super Dentists , Bronze

TikTok/Brush Along with The Super Dentists Song Launch, The Super Dentists, Silver

Tri-City's Social Media Organic Revamp, Tri-City Medical Center, Gold

Digital Marketing: Website (Intranet or Internet)

Tri-City Medical Center Website Redesign , Tri-City Medical Center, Bronze

Doctor Finder Open Scheduling, Scripps Health, Silver

COVID-19 Virtual Super Lounge, The Super Dentists, Gold

Multi-Media: Internal/External Video Programs

Heroes in Our House, Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, Bronze

Gwen's Tri-City Medical Center Honor Walk, October 2019, Tri-City Medical Center, Silver

Honoring Our Heroes for Día de los Muertos, Lifesharing, Gold

Multi-Media: Video News Releases

Saving a 3-year-old Gorilla’s Eyesight, UC San Diego Health, Silver

Mother with COVID-19 Delivers Baby While in Coma, UC San Diego Health, Gold

Off the Wall

Heroes In Our House, Rady Children's Hospital Foundation, Bronze

Sports Partnerships – Pivoting Due to COVID-19, UC San Diego Health, Silver

Cavitar's Evil Ice Cream Giveaway, The Super Dentists , Gold

Public Relations Campaigns: Community Relations

Grinland! at SD Children's Discovery Museum, The Super Dentists , Silver

TCMC COASTAL Commitment , Tri-City Medical Center, Gold

Public Relations Campaigns: Crisis Communications

Rady Children's Covid-19 Safety Campaign, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, Gold

Public Relations Campaigns: Health & Wellness Advocacy Strategic Career Planning, Tri-City Medical Center, Silver

Heart Health, Tri-City Medical Center, Gold

Public Relations Campaigns: Internal Communications

Workforce Development and You: Empower Your Potential, Scripps Health Talent Development Services & Talent Acquisitions, Bronze

TCMC COVID-19 Command Center Daily Brief, Tri-City Medical Center, Silver

Promote the Vote, UC San Diego Health, Gold

Public Relations Campaigns: Media Relations

2019 Breast Cancer Campaign, Loma Linda University Health System, Bronze

Mission Hospital COVID-19 Media Relations Campaign , Westbound Communications, Silver

Loss of Smell and Taste Validated as COVID-19 Symptoms, UC San Diego Health, Gold

Public Relations Campaigns: Multicultural Relations

SOCAL & GEAR UP, Tri-City Medical Center, Silver

Honoring Our Heroes for Día de los Muertos, Lifesharing, Gold

Public Relations Campaigns: Overall Campaign

My Vote, My Health™, AltaMed Health Services , Bronze

TCMC COASTAL Commitment , Tri-City Medical Center, Silver

The Super Dentists - PR During a Pandemic, The Super Dentists, Gold

Publications, Collateral & Design: Brochures

Senior Web and Digital Content Editor, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, Gold

Publications, Collateral & Design: Giveaway Items

Halloween Giveaway Items, Millennium Health, Silver

TCMC Employee Appreciation Branded Apparel, Tri-City Medical Center, Gold

Publications, Collateral & Design: Internal/External Magazines

In Good Company, Fall 2019 and Fall/Winter 2020, Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers, Silver

Healthy Kids Magazine 2020, Rady Children's Hospital Foundation, Gold

Publications, Collateral & Design: Internal/External Newsletters

Making the Rounds, UC San Diego Health, Bronze

UCSD Physician Update, UC San Diego Health, Silver

TCMC Community Connections e-Newsletter, Tri-City Medical Center, Gold

Publications, Collateral & Design: Logo Creation/Brand Identity

Greatest Hospital on Earth Logo, Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers, Bronze

The Super Dentists COVID logo , The Super Dentists , Silver

Tri-City Medical Center Brand Refresh - Branding Guide , Tri-City Medical Center, Gold

Publications, Collateral & Design: Special Publications

Transforming Pediatric Health Care Timeline, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, Bronze

Saving Operation HOPE, Tri-City Medical Center, Silver

Mental Health Policy and Practice Reform: A Local, State, and Federal Perspective, Hazel's Army, Gold

Special Events: Multi-day Event or Observance

Reach Out: COVID-19 Employee Relations Campaign, Millennium Health, Gold

Dr. Stephen Karas Resuscitation Room Dedication, Tri-City Medical Center, Silver

The Super Dentists Save Halloween , The Super Dentists , Gold

Writing: Feature Article

A Tornado at the Front Door, a Tsunami at the Back Door, UC San Diego Health, Silver

23andMEME, UC San Diego Health, Gold

Writing: New Release/Pitch Letter

Microbial DNA in Patient Blood May be Tell-Tale Sing of Cancer, UC San Diego Health, Gold

Writing: Op-Ed/Editorial

Associate Professor, Neurosciences, UC San Diego Health Sciences, Silver

Health Center Partners of Southern California - Writing: Op-Ed/Editorial, Health Center Partners of Southern California, Gold

Writing: Vlog / Blog

Kite Insights Blog, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, Bronze

Spreading Facts: Answering Critical COVID-19 Questions – A Timely Video Series, UC San Diego Health, Silver

Health Center Partners of Southern California - CEO Blogs, Health Center Partners of Southern California, Gold