Individual

Rona Schechter, Sharp HealthCare — Multi Entity

As manager for the Diabetes Service Line, Rona has systematically worked to increase the awareness and net revenue growth of Sharp Outpatient Self-Management Diabetes Education. To bring diabetes education to the forefront, Rona developed creative marketing strategies, enhanced outreach efforts and forged thoughtful partnerships.  Under her leadership, physician referral sources have increased 146 percent, patient no-show rates have decreased to less than 20 percent, and the service line has experienced a significant increase in visibility within Sharp and the community.

Team

World's Smallest Baby Story — Marketing, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns

Despite immense patient privacy constraints, this team developed an integrated, multi-channel communications campaign to promote the story of Saybie, the world’s smallest baby ever to survive. The story raised awareness of the world-class care provided at Sharp Mary Birch and yielded local, national and worldwide coverage, unprecedented in Sharp’s history. Saybie’s story generated more than 4,500 news stories worldwide in one week, reaching more than 2.9 billion potential viewers and generating over $26 million in advertising value equivalency.

Department

Outpatient Access Services, Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital

This department adopted a centralized approach to assess, triage and facilitate outpatient mental health treatment. By establishing one, dedicated phone number for all mental health needs, team members now talk to every caller, connecting them with services, referring them to the appropriate level of care and answering general questions.  A 40 percent increase in call volume demonstrates the positive impact on how community members access mental health treatment.