10/02/2025
Introducing Healthcare Heroes!
Each year, during the Best of the Pine Belt, we get suggestions from participants about categories they would like for us to add. We already have 200 categories, and, if you’ve participated in the contest, you know that it can be challenging to navigate the large list. So, we are very particular about adding additional categories. This year, when it was all said and done, we sat down and took a look at all the suggested categories. The vast majority of them were for healthcare professionals.
I talk to people all the time about what they would like to see more of in their newspaper. Almost without exception they tell me that they would like to see more of the positive news, the happy stories, the touching moments. I often talk about the mission of this community newspaper — to inform, to connect, and to celebrate this community. This mission dictates that sometimes we must cover the negative events that impact you. But we will take every opportunity to celebrate what makes our neck of the woods special. I can’t think of a more important celebratory role than that of spearheading a celebration of the health care professionals who choose to work and live here. There is no doubt that the healthcare sector in Hattiesburg has a tremendous impact on our economy. We are the regional medical hub for 19 counties. The healthcare segment in Hattiesburg employs over 9,100 direct employees. And it is those hard-working, dedicated health care professionals that we want to support, encourage, and recognize.
We are very excited to announce the first-ever “Healthcare Heroes” awards, recognizing the outstanding members of our health care community who are making a significant impact in the Pine Belt. To do this, we need your help. We’ve met and worked with many talented health care professionals, but we know there are many others deserving consideration. So, we are asking for your input. The process is simple —just go to hubcityspokes.com and click on “Nomination are open for Healthcare Heroes.” You will see a list of about 60 categories. Click on a category and simply fill in the name of the professional you would like to nominate along with where they work. If you don’t see a category that fits your nominee, please send an email to [email protected] with the nominee’s name and the health care role they fill, and I will make sure they are included.
Nominations began October 1 and will be open through October 24. You can nominate in one category or in all categories. You can nominate in the same category once each day. We will then choose the top five individuals who received the most nominations in each category to move on to the voting period, which will be from December 1 through December 22. We’ll announce the winners at an awards event on January 17. The complete list of finalists will be published in the December edition of Signature Magazine, and the winners will be published in the February edition of Signature Magazine.
One of the keys to success for a community is robust health care. Bright, engaged, enthusiastic health care professionals are the lifeblood of the community, and we are so excited to have the opportunity to recognize some of the best and brightest who have chosen to make a difference in the Pine Belt.
