Award Categories and Judging Criteria

Focus is on the effective digital implementation/delivery of annual reports as well as reports on community benefits, foundation, capital campaigns, events, wellness, and other initiatives (reports can also be in print, but only digital delivery will be evaluated).

This award recognizes digital initiatives that help populations stay healthy through prevention, by avoiding risk factors, and by managing chronic conditions. This includes population health communications campaigns as well as medical management tools, news, and information to help consumers manage chronic conditions; two-way communication between a patient and healthcare practitioners; and opportunities to monitor clinical care. This category also includes initiatives related to addressing social determinants of health.

Category covers campaigns for pediatric care that include digital channels and may also include other "traditional" channels such as TV, radio, outdoor, print, etc. Evaluations based on goals, marketing content, creative, and results.

This is a Special Award Category.  

Category covers campaigns for healthcare foundation/nonprofit fundraising and donor relations that include digital channels, and may also include other "traditional" channels such as TV, radio, outdoor, print, etc. Evaluations based on goals, marketing content, creative, and results.

This is a Special Award Category.  

The category evaluates entries based on how well an organization is using digital communications and tools such as websites, intranets, mobile apps, e-newsletters, internal social networking tools, and other collaboration platforms to foster a positive culture, to enhance employee productivity and satisfaction and to reduce administrative costs.

This is a Special Award Category.  

Sponsored by:

Category covers campaigns that are digital only. Campaigns may cover promotion of a service line, product, rebranding, special event, or an internal communications effort. Evaluations based on goals, marketing content, creative, and results if available. Detailed guidelines supplied upon entry.

This is a Special Award Category.  

Sponsored by:

Category covers campaigns that include digital and other "traditional" channels such as TV, radio, outdoor, print, etc. Campaigns may cover promotion of a service line, product, rebranding, special event, or an internal communications effort. Evaluations based on goals, marketing content, creative, and results if available. Detailed guidelines supplied upon entry.

This is a Special Award Category.  

Focus is on impactful campaigns. Campaigns elements, including ads, landing pages, and strategy in support of business objectives will be evaluated. Winning entries will be expected to share goals and results.

This is a Special Award Category.  

Focus is on patient/consumer engagement through social media including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, blogs, chats, live video, and other social networking channels.

This award recognizes organizations demonstrating excellence in their implementation of online reputation management, including elements such as review monitoring and response, review generation and amplification, facility and physician profiles and ratings implementation, data integration, technology platforms, organization/department collaboration, and KPIs and other analytics to measure and demonstrate success.

This is a Special Award Category.  

Focus is on the successful deployment of strategic communications and technology to support healthcare organizations employer branding, recruitment, staff engagement and retention efforts.

Focus is on the successful deployment of strategic communications and technology to bolster relationships between physicians and healthcare organizations, driving referrals, supporting service lines, and building healthcare brands. (Note: Also see category 27, Best Provider Directory.)

This category awards the successful application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to achieve marketing goals, including customer acquisition and retention, online content personalization, digital experience, understanding user intent, social listening, physician search, online reputation management, call center optimization, and others. 

This is a Special Award Category.  

This award recognizes organizations that use data strategically to drive marketing efforts — through segmentation, personalization, predictive modeling, geo-targeting, and other approaches — to engage specific audiences and achieve business objectives. Audience targeting strategies (e.g., behavioral, demographic, geolocation); use of tools like CRM platforms, CDPs, or programmatic media; privacy and ethical data practices; innovative use of first- or third-party data; and documented achievement of business objectives will all be considered.

This is a Special Award Category.  

Sponsored by:

This award recognizes strategies that achieve demonstrable ROI, business goals, and positive community health outcomes. Measuring healthcare marketing results is crucial for optimizing strategies, allocating resources, and demonstrating accountability. Judges will evaluate reported results against marketing objectives. Results may include ROI, conversion metrics (e.g., volumes, sales, form fills, appointments), campaign performance (e.g., impressions, clicks, CTRs), and also community health outcomes (e.g., vaccinations, cancer screenings, smoking cessation rates).

This is a Special Award Category.  

Sponsored by:

How extensive, balanced, up-to-date, well-organized, and credible is the information presented? Includes individual wellness and community health initiatives.

Focus is on the best healthcare content delivered as an email. How extensive, balanced, up-to-date, well-organized, and authoritative is the information presented? How effectively do design, content, and delivery facilitate the goals of the audience and the healthcare organization for this content.

Focus is on the best healthcare content delivered as an email series. This includes email newsletters, and other types of multi-part campaigns. How extensive, balanced, up-to-date, well-organized, and authoritative is the information presented? How effectively do design, content, and delivery facilitate the goals of the audience and the healthcare organization for this content.

Sponsored by:

Focus is on the organization's use of this unique content channel to communicate with internal or external audiences. Entries will be judged on the quality/effectiveness of the content and the podcast's ability to achieve organization's business objectives.

Focus is on interactive features and technologies that engage patients and establish ongoing relationships via personalized web pages, e-newsletters, and email alerts. Includes functionality such as online health risk assessments, and AI-driven interactive features such as chatbots.

Category includes video, audio, animations, virtual tours, and multimedia.

Category includes entries of a single video under 2 minutes in length. Video deployed as TV advertisements, web video, TikTok, Reels, YouTube or on any other platform can be entered.

Category includes entries of a single, longer-form video (2 minutes or longer).

Category includes a cohesive series of videos. This can include a video channel. Video deployed as TV advertisements, web video, TikTok, Reels, YouTube or on any other platform can be entered. Judges will evaluate three individual videos from the series.

This is a Special Award Category.  

Only the home page will be judged. Do the design and navigation facilitate access to key site information? Does it provide strong branding and excellent usability?

This category focuses on a critical element of any digital campaign. Landing page or microsite may promote a service line, product, rebranding, special event, internal communications effort, or other marketing goal. Evaluations based on implementation of marketing content, design, creative, clarity and ease of path to conversion, and results if available.

This award recognizes the best examples of healthcare mobile experience, whether via installed app or mobile website via a browser. Websites entered will be evaluated exclusively from a mobile perspective. Usability, design, branding, quality of content, clarity of purpose and consumer ratings will all be evaluated.

How easy is it to find a healthcare provider — physician, nurse, dentist, or other professional — who meets a consumer’s or referring physician’s needs? How organized, extensive, and interesting is the information on the doctor? Are appointment requests facilitated?

Is the web design unusual, attractive, and engaging? Does the design facilitate access to key site information? Does it provide strong branding and excellent usability?

Sponsored by:

Focus is on using digital tools to enhance patient access and convenience including patient portals, appointment requests and scheduling, ER wait times, patient test results, bill pay, patient-physician communications, directions, classes/events, and service preregistration.

Factors considered include delivery of strong healthcare content, interactivity, medical care support, integration with the organization’s operations, as well as strength of web design, ease of navigation, and digital accessibility.

This award recognizes an organization’s overall digital strategy and commitment to using the internet and technology to help achieve its mission and strategic business objectives. Factors considered include financial resources and organizational focus on eHealth as well as initiatives implemented. To enter this award category, your organization must enter at least four other award categories and provide details supporting your submission so that the organization can be fully evaluated. Detailed guidelines supplied upon entry.

This is a Special Award Category.