June 18

LOCAL PR PRO WINS STATEWIDE AWARD Lori M. Quiller, APR, recently received the 2018 Philip R. Forrest Jr. Professional Achievement Award during the Public Relations Council of Alabama’s annual con- ference in Huntsville. The Forrest Award is the highest annual honor bestowed by the organization to a single practitioner. “To be nominated by PRCA Montgomery was truly an honor in itself but to re- ceive the award from the state organization left me quite humbled,” Quiller said. “We have all worked hard to elevate the practice of public relations to new and greater heights. Now, I have a renewed fire to keep moving forward in my profession and help the next generation of young professionals who are moving up in the ranks.” The Forrest Award is given to recognize public relations practitioners who are outstanding in the field of public relations. The award is a culmination of the pro- fessional’s community service, professional activities and career achievements. This is the first year the Forrest Award has been received by a professional in Mont- gomery since 2009. Quiller is the director of communications and social media for the Medical Asso- ciation of the State of Alabama. She has been in public relations for more than 20 years. She’s a past president of PRCA Montgomery and currently serves on the board as the vice president of Accreditation and Education. She helps mentor other public relations professionals through the Accreditation in Public Relations process. Quiller is a board member of the Alabama Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America as well as serves as the professional liaison to the Alabama State University’s Chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America. She is also a Southern Public Relations Federation Senior Practitioner. A four-time recipient of the APEX Award for Publication Excellence in Magazines and Journals, Quiller has also received several PRCA Medallion Awards and a Judges’ Award for Excellence for work during her career. As PRCA’s 2018 Forrest Award recipient, she will nowmove on to the regional competition, SPRF's Professional Achievement Award, which was established to recognize an individual who has continually demonstrated the highest ideals of the profession as well as a commitment to advance the profession of public relations. This award will be given in September at the SPRF annual conference. BAPTIST SOUTH RECEIVES GET WITH THE GUIDELINES - STROKE GOLD PLUS QUALITY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Baptist Medical Center South has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treat- ment according to nationally recognized, research-based guide- lines based on the latest scientific evidence. Baptist South earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions. “Baptist South is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Debbie Cardwell of the American Heart Association. “The tools and resources provided help track and measure our suc- cess in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.” “We are pleased to recognize Baptist Medical Center South for their commitment to stroke care,” said Eric E. Smith, M.D., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steer- ing Committee and an associate professor of neu- rology at the Uni- versity of Calgary in Alberta, Cana- da. “Research has shown that hos- pitals adhering to clinical measures { cityscapes } Lori M. Quiller Baptist South’s Stroke coordinator Jackie Owens pictured with American Heart Association’s Debbie Cardwell 50 RIVER REGION LIVING www.riverregionliving.com