Effingham Health Systems took home RPI Best Practice Award at the recent Recognition Professionals International Annual Experience Conference in Atlanta.

Effingham Health Systems was recognized for embracing RPI’s Seven Best Practice Standards. Specifically, Effingham Health Systems excelled in Best Practice Standard 6: Recognition Events and Celebrations. Effingham Health Systems has worked to implement recognition events that include annual organization-wide celebrations as well as departmental achievement lunches.

Effingham Health System formally recognizes its employees’ milestones at its annual recognition banquet, hosted by the CEO and attended by its Board of Directors. Employees are awarded in a social environment and get their pictures taken with the CEO and head of HR, along with their plaque and point awards honoring their years of service. Effingham Health System also gathers employee feedback following the event to ensure it creates the most amazing event for its employees. This feedback is used to continuously improve this event.

At its family fun day picnic, employees are celebrated and recognized. This celebration incorporates the family of the employees who Effingham Health Systems recognizes, and also takes time to employees and teams who helped make the event possible. To make sure that these events are well curated and organized, Effingham Health Systems has a team that plans and organizes these celebrations. Volunteers are gathered from both clinical and non-clinical staff in order to allow everyone to have a voice in the way staff members are recognized. Volunteers on this committee are awarded points for their participation, and the company has found that many of the volunteers continue to serve on other event planning committees because they enjoy being a part of recognizing their fellow co-workers.

The judges noted that Effingham Health Systems does a great job at making its staff feel appreciated, and that the volunteer committee does a great job incorporating multiple types of events to recognize employees.

The Harkins Education Award was presented to Cori Champagne of MIT. The award is given to the RPI Board of Directors to recognize a member who has provided leadership and commitment to RPI education initiatives. Champagne has spoken at RPI conferences and webinars and is a RPI Best Practice Standards® Award Overall winner as well.

RPI’s Spotlight Award was presented to Kathie Pugaczewski, CAE, CMP, CRP, Executive Director, RPI. The RPI Board of Director members nominate individuals and vote on who receives the award. The award is given for above and beyond behavior to the member who continuously add value to the Association. Pugaczewski’s dedication toward Recognition Professionals International is exemplary.