The Public Affairs team at KU School of Medicine-Wichita has earned several awards in state communication contests, along with individual achievements.

During the Kansas Association of Health Care Communicators conference in Topeka, Jennifer Eaton, senior communications coordinator; Darcy Gray, digital communications coordinator; and Belinda Venters, director, won a top honor Emerald Award for the KU School of Medicine-Wichita e-newsletter. They also received a certificate of merit for Embark KU Wichita magazine.

Venters received a certificate of merit for her news story “Think like a resident: Surgery boot camp prepares med school graduates for residency.” Gray and Karen Chinn, manager of KU Medical Center Web Design & Management, received a certificate of merit for the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Program website. Gray also received a certificate of merit for the KU School of Medicine-Wichita LinkedIn social media page.

In the Kansas Professional Communicators’ annual communication contest, Eaton placed first in the Electronic Newsletter category for the March 8, 2023, issue of Jayhawk Talk Online. She also received the third place award in the same category for the Aug. 23, 2023, issue of JTO. Eaton earned the second place award in the Publication Regularly Edited by Entrant category for The Beat Internal Medicine newsletter.

Gray and Chinn received first place in the Website Edited or Managed by Entrant category for the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program website. The entry also earned an honorable mention in the national communications contest hosted by the National Federation of Press Women. In the KPC contest, Gray placed first in the Social Media Presence category for LinkedIn, and she earned second place in the national contest.

Venters swept the category of News Story Online Publication in the KPC contest:

• First place: Healing from cancer encompasses more than treatment
• Second place: General surgery procedure night offers insight to potential specialty
• Third place: Medical students host activities aiming to inspire youth from Boys & Girls Clubs
• Honorable Mention: An ounce of prevention: Kansas Project ADAM provides CPR, AED training to Wichita Collegiate staff
• Honorable Mention: Think like a resident: Surgery boot camp prepares med school graduates for residency

The entire team received first place in the Publication Regularly Edited by Entrant category of the KPC contest for Embark KU Wichita and received second place in the Electronic Newsletter category for KU School of Medicine-Wichita E-news.

Additionally, Eaton was named this year as one of the 2024 Women Who Lead in Professional Services by the Wichita Business Journal while Gray was recognized as a Young Professional in Marketing.