Throughout her life, Shannon O’Halloran has been told that she has a special way of engaging people in conversation and connecting with them.

That’s what steered her to choose public relations as her major in college. It’s those same special qualities that have made O’Halloran thrive in her role as marketing and digital media specialist at Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers.

For everything she does to positively impact the lives of everyone she interacts with, O’Halloran has been selected as the Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers May Fire Starter of the Month.

“When Shannon joined us, we immediately said she was like a ray of sunshine,” said Janet Long, manager of public relations and marketing at Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers. “She brings enthusiasm, compassion and optimism, making her a perfect fit for Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers.“

In her position, the Channahon native makes a significant contribution to the Morris Hospital website’s look, feel and content, social media platforms, advertising, digital presence, press coverage, marketing/communications materials, and the employee newsletter.

Her role involves working with just about everyone in the organization, from providers, to all levels of leadership, and staff in every department. She also interacts with the media, community members, and patients.

On numerous occasions, O’Halloran has had to reach out to patients to gather information for marketing articles she writes about their care. Even with patients, she has a unique way of making a lasting impression, as evident by a comment one of those patients wrote on the Facebook post about O’Halloran’s Fire Starter of the Month honors: “Love her, she’s fantastic!!” the patient wrote.

Along with all of the positive relationships she has developed, most rewarding for O’Halloran is seeing the completed work that she and her department have so carefully and thoughtfully produced.

“When I see our ads, articles, and social media posts, I think about all the other people who are seeing them and how that helps them connect with our services, which ultimately helps improve their health,” she said

O’Halloran said she also enjoys seeing the reactions to the social media posts she makes on behalf of Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers.

“When we make posts about providers and staff, it’s really rewarding to see the community give so much love. Even the small moments that we can capture matter because the community really loves seeing our staff and providers. These kind of posts remind me how important our organization is to our patients and community,” O’Halloran said.

In nominating O’Halloran as Fire Starter of the Month, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers Patient Relations Coordinator Jacquie Secrest summed it up best when she wrote: “Shannon embodies the hospital values every day. She is one of the most compassionate people I know and is always there to help her peers or the leadership team. She truly loves Morris Hospital and makes it her mission for the community to see how wonderful the hospital is as well.”

In early civilizations, fire starters were individuals who had the important job of keeping the flame alive. With over 1,500 employees, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers is the largest employer in Grundy County