Health system recognized with high honor for video content

What does Virtua Health, southern New Jersey’s largest health system, have in common with internationally known brands like ESPN, Microsoft, Pokémon, and the Star Wars franchise? All are recent winners of the 43rd annual Telly Awards, announced last week.

Virtua Health earned a silver award in the “general – local TV” category for its “Here for Her” commercial that honors the strength of women and reminds them they have a trusted partner in Virtua Health. The 30-second spot was so well-received, Virtua debuted a second, similar video last month.

“Our health is essential to how we experience the world, and so we strive to communicate in a way that inspires and empowers people to take ownership of their health and well-being,” said Chrisie Scott, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Virtua Health. “We also know that women tend to prioritize their family’s needs before their own, and so we wanted to create messaging that speaks directly to them and lets them know they are seen and appreciated.”

Viewers will note that the video does not feature any medical professionals or clinical settings. Rather, the commercial focuses on women of various ages, body types, and racial/ethnic backgrounds pursuing uplifting activities like gardening, yoga, and time with children.

“Health care is all about helping people achieve and enjoy their best possible quality of life,” Scott said. “With this campaign, we wanted to prioritize what matters to women – those small and special life moments -- and provide a reminder, like a good friend, that our excellent clinicians and care teams are here to help support them in making those moments possible.”

The Telly Awards honor the best in TV and cable, digital and streaming, and non-broadcast productions across many industries—not just health care. The program receives more than 11,000 entries yearly from five continents and all 50 states.

Another Telly Award recipient in the health care category is a video from the parenting blog Scary Mommy called “Madge the Vag: Preparing for Birth.” Serendipitously, the popular online personality “Madge” (comedian Julie Kottakis) hosted a handful of Virtua’s Real Talk! online chats for women in 2021.

Virtua previously earned a bronze Telly Award in 2020 for a video that debuted its new brand following Virtua’s 2019 acquisition of Lourdes Health System. More recently, a national study named Virtua as having one of the top 50 health care brands in the nation.

To learn more about The Telly Awards and consult a full list of winners, visit tellyawards.com.