Hospital creates engaging videos to honor staffers

Award-winning visual tribute shows a hospital system’s twist on a newsletter staple

How do you pay tribute to 40, 45, even 50 years of employee service in an engaging, enduring way?

Oakwood Healthcare System goes beyond the usual listing on the intranet or in the employee magazine. For three years it has honored its long-term employees with a video shown at its anniversary banquet.

“The reaction by the group at the banquet is a great indication of how well the video goes over,” says Oakwood communicator Lisa Peers. “There’s applause, standing ovations when they’re called up; there’s laughter and good murmuring throughout the whole thing. From that gauge, it goes over really big.”

Oakwood’s 2009 video honoring 11 employees with 40-plus years of service took the top prize in the 2010 Ragan Recognition Awards. (Watch Part 1 and Part 2.)

It’s no easy feat for Peers, who is the only communicator on Oakwood’s four-person video team, to include every honoree plus managers and friends in a cohesive video. Organization and prepping employees are key to the video’s success.

Be organized