MCKENZIE BRINGS A DEDICATED WORK ETHIC, LOVE OF UMC TO INTERIM DIRECTOR POSITION

The moment she heard Dr. Arthur C. Guyton speak at her graduation ceremony at the University of Southern Mississippi, Tena McKenzie knew the Medical Center would be a special place to work.

It just so happened that McKenzie had recently interviewed for a job in the Division of Public Affairs.

“After Dr. Guyton’s speech, my father came up to me and was completely enamored with Dr. Guyton (the first chair of the physiology department). My dad also was a polio survivor and he talked about how special it would be if I got the job at the Medical Center,” she said.

When she got home from the ceremony, she actually had a message from Barbara Austin, director of the Division of Public Affairs, offering her the job as a writer/photographer.

Fast forward 17 years later and McKenzie has led the way in helping raise almost $12 million for the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children.

Beginning July 1, she’ll serve as the Medical Center’s interim director of the Division of Public Affairs.  She’ll take the reins from Austin, who is scheduled to retire after 40 years of service.

“I’m looking forward to Tena’s leadership in public affairs,” said Dr. Dan Jones, vice chancellor for health affairs. “She’s following a legend. And that’s always hard.  I happen to know something about following legends.

“Tena does a terrific job with Children’s Hospital activities.  She is bright, knowledgeable and experienced.  We are fortunate to have her in this interim leadership position.”

A native of Baton Rouge, McKenzie earned the BS in journalism from the Mississippi University for Women in 1987 and the MS in public relations from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1989. 

She served as the communications specialist for Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association while earning her master’s.

“Both of my parents are from Natchez, so really I think I was a Mississippian at heart and as soon as I could, I left and came to Mississippi.”

McKenzie said her original plan was to teach but saw the UMC job in the newspaper.

The first week she worked at the Medical Center was Arthur C. Guyton week.

“My parents called and I told them that I had been at the Trademark Center all day setting up for the Arthur C. Guyton dinner,” she said. “I had to tell my dad I had polished mirrors all day. He just laughed and said, ‘I sent you to graduate school so you could polish mirrors.’

“It was at that moment, I knew that public relations was not the glamorous job that I had obviously been led to believe. It is a lot of hard work, and it is a lot of behind the scene work. We are the first ones at an event and we are the last ones to leave.”

McKenzie became the coordinator of the Children’s Miracle Network in 1991, though she had been working hand in hand with the Children’s Hospital from the beginning.

Friends of Children’s Hospital was founded in 1989 and McKenzie also served as a liaison between the private, nonprofit organization and the Children’s Hospital when she was hired. 

Although titles have changed throughout her years at the Medical Center, McKenzie’s responsibilities did not significantly change until she was named associate director in 2003.

“While my primary responsibility has been the Children’s Hospital, I have always been involved in other things that go on at the Medical Center and certainly have been involved in all of the special events we coordinate,” she said.

However, she certainly has broadened the cause related marketing efforts at Children’s since beginning her tenure at the Medical Center.

In 1989, $240,000 was raised through Children’s Miracle Network. Last year, under the leadership of McKenzie, the initiative raised more than $1.1 million. Since 1990, $11,775,508 has been raised through Children’s Miracle Network.

This effort does not include funds raised from the Colonel Harland Sanders Foundation and the McRae Foundation to build a new pediatric emergency room.

“I’m just a part of this,” she said. “It takes a team approach to raise funds and Children’s Hospital has been blessed with volunteers and staff dedicated to this purpose.”

She also is in charge of the Mal’s St. Paddy’s parade each year. 

“I have too many stories that I can’t tell about St. Paddy’s, but this is one of the events that has gotten our Children’s Hospital name literally across the country because of the connection with the Sweet Potato Queens. The awareness is invaluable.”

Dr. Owen B. Evans, chair of pediatrics, believes McKenzie is perfect for her new position.

“She has many years of experience at UMC and knows the history, the people, and every inch of this campus,” Evans said. “Her judgment is always sound and dependable and she is someone in the administration who finds a way to say ‘yes’ to most requests.

“Through her efforts, millions of dollars have been donated for many projects at UMC, which have improved the health care of our patients.”

Though it takes a special person to work with children, McKenzie said she has gotten much more from the children than she could ever give them.

“It has been such a privilege to get to know our patients and their families over the years and certainly I have a special place in my heart for these children,” she said.

McKenzie said she believes that the Division of Public Affairs has a very strong foundation.

“Barbara has set high standards for all of us on the staff and she expects us to do our best for the institution,” she said. “That is something we will continue to do.

“Dr. Jones has encouraged us to continue setting goals which may mean there will be changes. What I want the Medical Center family to know is that we simply can not do our job without their help.

“We can not find the good patient stories or know about the research unless the Medical Center staff lets us know.

“We welcome their suggestions at any time and if they see something they think we can do better, please let us know.”

—Jenny Woodruff (6-11-07)

2007-06-08 00:00:00 17010