Congratulations to Suzanne Lane, Director of Internal Communications, an honoree of the “Top Women in Communications Awards 2022” in the category of Crisis Communications by Ragan Communications. Per Ragan, this prestigious group represents the female communications professionals whose dedication and contributions to the communications industry are making a significant impact in their day-to-day job and career, advancing the profession while accelerating growth for their organization. Suzanne will be celebrated alongside the other honorees at a special awards luncheon and ceremony in June.
To keep Cooper’s 8,500 team members and 850 employed physicians working in unison to address the crisis at hand while continuing to provide the highest level of health care, it was imperative for Cooper to have a strong leader and seasoned communications professional at the helm of its internal communications office. Suzanne, who joined Cooper just a few months prior to the beginning of the pandemic, readily faced the challenge.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Suzanne has been a vital member of Cooper’s Incident Management Team (IMT). As the lead communicator, she works closely with senior leaders, and clinical and administrative staff throughout the health system to translate complex issues and rapidly changing information into effective daily communications in multiple formats (written materials, emails, intranet posts, signage, videos, and more). Suzanne is a hands-on leader, and for many days and weeks at a time, Suzanne was away from her office, often working 10-12 hour days alongside other frontline leaders to ensure Cooper communications were frequent, clear, and relevant in addressing team members’ questions and concerns.
In addition to pandemic-related communications, Suzanne continued to keep Cooper’s other internal communication goals on track. During the pandemic, Suzanne developed a robust campaign to launch Pulse+, Cooper’s new internal communications app. Her efforts resulted in more than 2,000 users signing up for the app within the first two months of its introduction alone. Prior to that, Suzanne spearheaded a campaign to refresh and promote Cooper’s new mission, vision, and values to Cooper’s team members.
Suzanne is constantly available to team members across the health system to craft dozens of weekly messages and campaigns – everything from awards and celebrations, fundraising efforts, policy updates, new services and programs, current events, and executive announcements. She approaches every campaign, initiative, and request head-on and did not miss a beat despite the numerous challenges that the pandemic presented. Suzanne supervises two direct reports and leads her team with transparency and trust, creating a supportive, collaborative environment where team members feel respected and valued. She is the first to volunteer to help a colleague, provide encouragement, or brainstorm new creative ideas to meet a goal.
In the two years Suzanne has been at Cooper, she has made a profound difference and is respected by colleagues at every level of the organization. Please join us in congratulating her when you see her!