BALDWINSVILLE — The Syracuse Press Club recently announced the first of its 2021 special club honors. For the second time in her career, Kathleen Paice Froio has received the Philip A. Hofmann President’s Award for Best News Source.

Froio is the assistant director of public and media relations at Upstate Medical University, Upstate University Hospital, Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital and Upstate Cancer Center.

“Throughout the pandemic, Kathleen has been a force of nature, connecting local and national media to medical experts at a time when our communities were desperate for COVID-19 information to keep themselves and their families safe,” read a statement from the Syracuse Press Club. “This is the second time Kathleen has won this award, a testament to her ongoing professionalism, creativity and dedication to her work. She was the SPC News Source of the Year in 2014. Thank you to Kathleen, for setting a stellar example for news sources across Central New York.”

Froio works with physicians, nurses and other health care professionals at Upstate to help inform the public on breaking health news, including an incredible surge of requests over the past year on COVID-19 symptoms, treatments, testing and vaccines.

Froio worked with local media to recruit participants for COVID-19 clinical trials and led the effort to feature several outstanding frontline staff in stories about how the pandemic has impacted health care workers, patients and their families.

In addition to her work with local and national media, Froio writes and publishes newsletters for Upstate staff and students, directs Upstate’s Speakers Bureau, is part of the hospital’s Incident Command team and several hospital committees, and serves as public information officer for the institution.

She works with journalism students on interviews for their class projects and has led the media group for an emergency preparedness/population health course at Upstate for MD and MPH students. Her photographs of Upstate staff and patients have been featured in poster campaigns that line the hallways of Upstate University Hospital and Upstate Community Hospital.

Froio’s most recent volunteer work includes painting the Rescue Mission’s LGBTQ+ Homeless Shelter for Adolescents in Syracuse. She has also volunteered for Hope for the Bereaved-Wrapsody, Leadership Greater Syracuse, Mary Nelson’s Back-to-School Giveaway and Picnic, Fleet Feet’s No Boundaries Begin to Run program, the Salvation Army’s Christmas Bureau and Sunshine Friends Pet Therapy.

Froio is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Public Relations Society of Central New York, SUNY’s Council for University Advancement, Hospital Association of New York State and Syracuse Press Club.

Froio has been an integral member of the communications team at Upstate for 25 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in cultural studies with a concentration in communication and media from SUNY, a Women in Leadership Certificate from Cornell, and is currently working on her master’s degree.

A Baldwinsville and Syracuse native, Froio currently lives with her family in Cortland. She graduated from Baker High School in 1991. She is the daughter of Rick and Mary Pat Paice, lifelong Baldwinsville residents.

The Syracuse Press Club plans to hold its awards banquet on Sept. 25, 2021.