Jackson Free Press

Robby Channell, media manager at Baptist Health Systems, received the Senior Practitioner award from the Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), Oct. 8 at the Gold Strike Casino Resort In Tunica.

Channell, 40, is now creating a "liaison between the media and the administrators" at Baptist. This includes utilizing social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and videos on YouTube. At least once a month he videotapes medical procedures and markets those procedures to the public.

"Through research we found that a lot of people are looking online at videos and physician interviews, and we started thinking why not do this more?" he says. "I try to at least once a month to post a surgical procedure on social media sites. If people are battling a particular heath disease or issue, they are looking for information about what procedures are available to them."

In 2004, Channell and the corporation communications staff at Baptist, brought the Women's Red Dress national campaign to Mississippi. By hosting a luncheon and working with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in Washington, D.C., Channell and his staff raised awareness about heart disease, which is the number one cause of death for women.

"The campaign has brought women's heart disease to the forefront," he says.

Now Baptist holds "Everyday Heart Day" screenings, and he says the majority of patients being screened are women.

Channell graduated from Mississippi College with a degree in math communication, and a minor in Art. He incorporates his love for art and photography into his work at the hospital, making certain medical procedures are accessible to individuals through videos. Channell spends his free time teaching cycling at Jackson's Baptist Healthplex. He is the father of a 7-week-old boy, and an 8-year-old girl. He lives with his wife and family in Brandon on the Reservoir.

Since 1992, Channell has worked in public relations. He says he will continue his work at Baptist in hopes of using technology to inform individuals and connect them more with the medical world.

Each year SPRF member organizations and their chapters nominate up to two professionals per chapter for the SPRF Senior Practitioner designation. The recipients must meet three of four requirements that include: 15 years of full-time public relations experience; accreditation by the NAPRC member organization, serving as officer or board member at chapter (state or SPRF level); and a high level of professionalism.