Rapides Regional Medical Center's Public Relations & Marketing department was recently recognized by the Louisiana Society for Hospital Public Relations and Marketing, bringing home four awards from the statewide competition. Those honored were: Charla Ducote, Rapides Regional Medical Center's vice president of marketing, public relations and business development; Sarah Clancy, public relations coordinator; Penny St. Romain, advertising coordinator; and Kerri Reed, graphic designer.

The awards were presented during the 2011 Gordon & Breaux Pelican Awards Luncheon held in Baton Rouge on Oct. 21. PR and marketing professionals from Mississippi judged more than 200 entries in approximately 60 categories.

Rapides Regional Medical received a Pelican Award in the PR/Marketing Project for a Healthcare-Related Organization category for their Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency "Memorial Wall" located in the Intensive Care Unit waiting area at RRMC.

The hospital also received a Pelican Award in the TV Advertising-Campaign (More than 150 Beds) for their :30 second "Simple Surgery" commercial which ran in 2010.

The hospital was also recognized for graphic design, winning the Pelican Award in Graphic Design, as well as Best in Show for Graphic Design, with the "Chords for a Cure" logo developed for the hospital's American Cancer Society concert fundraiser held in October of 2010.