Newsworthy

The Marketing and Communications team at Stormont Vail Health consists of 14 talented individuals whose purpose is to design, maintain, and update all of the visual and written communications that provide internal and external information. In order to reach different audiences, gain patients’ trust, attract new team members, and so much more, creative and expressive minds have to work together.

Meet two of Stormont Vail’s Marketing and Communications superstars who began their lifelong journey in the visual arts as early as high school –

John Collins, Creative Design Specialist

Ryan Bishop, Digital Media Specialist

What got you interested in your field?

John: “I have always been a fan of art and branding in particular. In high school art classes, I was fascinated by a book of advertising that my teacher had. That’s really when I knew that I wanted to be a designer.”

Ryan: “In high school I had the opportunity to work on a media campaign. That experience let me know I might have a knack for doing this stuff – turns out I’m pretty good at it.”

What is your favorite part about your job?

John: “I really like being able to use my creativity and skills to influence the way people think about things. It is satisfying to start with a few words or just an idea and turn that into a finished piece of art or useful marketing material.

At Stormont Vail, I have had a lot of freedom to add my creative touches to projects, while still utilizing the brand standards that users are accustomed to seeing. It is really nice to get feedback from so many team members who say they love the work we are doing and that they are seeing positive results because of our marketing efforts!”

Ryan: “My favorite part of working in photo and video production is being able to create images from the moments around me that might stick with people after they see them.

My favorite part of working here at Stormont Vail has to be the variety of content and images that I am able to help create, from surgical videos to event photos, it is always something different!”

What is the hardest part about your job?

John: “Art is always subjective. What I think or feel is not always what someone else thinks. So, sometimes it is hard to please everyone, but communication is key.”

Ryan: “I think the biggest challenge of my work is not wanting to get in the way as people work. I’m not a very assertive person so asking someone to stop what they’re doing so I can grab a photo with them takes a lot of energy and stress from me. I’m working on it, but I just don’t think that’s part of my personality.”

What is the piece of work you’re most proud of?

John: “Honestly, no favorites. I like everything I do!”

Ryan: “I’m not sure if I can narrow it down to one image, but the images I captured during the COVID-19 pandemic would probably be some of the work that I’m most proud of not only for my time here at Stormont Vail, but in my whole career. This image is the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine being given to one of our nurses.”

What piece of advice would you give to someone interested in this field?

John: “Do not be scared to push the limits. There is a time to be conservative in design, and there are also a lot of opportunities to surprise yourself and other people by being creative. Open your eyes and see all the art around you. Graphic Design is everywhere, think about how things were created and their purpose.”

Ryan: “Get out and shoot. You can study about photography all you want, but nothing compares to the experience of going out and shooting photos. Even if you don’t have a plan for capturing certain images it’s never wasted time practicing your craft.”

It’s safe to say that our Marketing and Communications team is lucky to have both John and Ryan as part of the squad. No matter what visuals you’re looking at around the hospital, in the clinic, or on our social media, there’s a great chance that it was created by some very talented individuals.