Individual Achievement Award

What Is the Individual Achievement Award?

The Individual Achievement Award is presented annually to a nominated ISHMPR member who has shown outstanding work in marketing, public relations, or communications in the healthcare industry.

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Submission Process

The deadline for submissions is June 13, 2025. To make a nomination, please use our online nomination form. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Molly Sorrell at msorrell@sdcmh.org. Unfortunately, you cannot self-nominate, as it will not be accepted. The award will be presented at the 2025 Fall Conference.

To be eligible, you must:

Be an ISHMPR member in good standing.
Have ten or more years of experience in marketing, public relations, and communications — including at least five years of direct involvement in the healthcare industry.

View Our Nomination Form

How Nominations Are Judged

Nominations for the Individual Achievement Award will be judged on the following criteria:

Proven Innovation. Demonstrated ability to produce outstanding public relations, marketing, or communication work.
Enhancement of Healthcare Marketing or PR. Participation in professional organizations at a leadership level, publication in professional literature, or professional public speaking engagements. Willingness to share skills and help others learn and grow.
Personal Qualities. Must have excellent leadership and the ability to work with diverse groups; a record of motivating or mentoring others; exemplifying healthcare marketing and public relations values and ethics to people in other disciplines and fields.
Community Services and Civic Achievement. Based on a local, regional, or national level.

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Cheerful man in his 40s having informal meeting with colleagues on urban rooftop discussing teamwork, confidence<br />

Dana McCoy

CGH Medical Center

For the past 25 years, Dana McCoy has served as the Director of Marketing at CGH Medical Center, a non-for-profit, city-owned hospital that serves a five-county region in northwestern Illinois. She oversees marketing and public relations initiatives for the 98-bed hospital, a large multi-specialty clinic, and 16 satellite clinics. Dana holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois, a MBA from St. Ambrose University, and is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She is a past President of the Sterling Noon Rotary Club, and currently serves as Club Foundation Chair and Youth Exchange Officer. During her time with Rotary, Dana has traveled the world working on clean water initiatives and has welcomed numerous exchange students into her home. Locally she has served on countless community boards including Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Whiteside County, Timber Lake Playhouse, Paint the Town, and The Loft on Main to name a few.

A past ISHMPR board member, Dana is a staunch advocate for supporting ISHMPR’s efforts. She encourages her staff to participate in ISHMPR events and strongly believes in the benefits that ISHMPR provides from networking, education, mentoring, and innovative ideas. Above all, she wants her staff to learn and grow professionally. Personally, Dana encouraged me to join the ISHMPR board. It was definitely outside my comfort zone but has been one of the best decisions that I ever made professionally. She saw how ISHMPR could benefit me both personally and professionally because she had first-hand knowledge of ISHMPR’s benefits from her previous time on the board.

Dana wears many hats between her position as Director of Marketing, involvement in numerous community organizations and boards, and personal life as a wife, mother – and soon-to-be grandmother. Despite her obvious busy schedule, she never ceases to amaze her staff with her endless energy and aptitude for taking on more projects between work and the community. She deserves to be recognized with the Individual Achievement Award because she embodies the ideals of ISHMPR and demonstrates proven innovation, the enhancement of healthcare marketing and public relations, and community service in both her career and personal life.