A Mobile-based video producer is earning national recognition for the kind of storytelling that turns a hospital hallway into a place of hope. Andrew Conniff, a videographer with the University of South Alabama Health System’s Office of Marketing and Communications, has won two honors in the 47th annual Telly Awards, announced this past May. The awards spotlight two patient-centered films Conniff produced from start to finish, work that colleagues say captures the human side of academic medicine in the Mobile area.
Conniff earned a Silver Telly in the non-broadcast biography category for a video chronicling former patient Sydnee Cantley’s journey through treatment at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital. He also took home a Bronze Telly in the same category for a film documenting the care 1st Lt. Nathan Cole received at the USA Health Kelly Butler ALS Center, one of the region’s specialized resources for patients and families confronting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. For both projects, Conniff was responsible for the interviews, filming, and post-production editing, a solo creative effort that required building trust with patients during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
Recognition From Health System Leadership
Marie Katz, executive director of USA Health’s Office of Marketing and Communications, praised Conniff’s contribution to how the health system tells its story. “Andrew’s work exemplifies the power of storytelling in academic medicine,” Katz said, adding that his ability to earn patients’ trust while producing compelling, professional-quality content sets his work apart. That trust is often the difference between a video that feels clinical and one that feels genuinely personal, a distinction that matters for families weighing where to seek specialized care in the Mobile and Gulf Coast region.
A Growing Track Record
This year’s wins are not Conniff’s first trip to the Telly Awards podium. He also received recognition in 2024 and 2025 for other patient-focused video projects produced for USA Health, building a track record of storytelling that has helped humanize the institution’s clinical work over several consecutive award cycles. Before joining USA Health, Conniff built his skills in local television news as a photojournalist, work that earned him the Alabama Broadcasters Association’s 2019 Photojournalist of the Year honor. He is a graduate of the University of South Alabama, giving his current role with the university’s health system something of a homecoming quality.
About the Telly Awards
The Telly Awards are widely regarded as one of the largest international honors for video and television production, recognizing work across broadcast, streaming, and non-broadcast categories. Submissions are judged by a panel of more than 200 industry professionals drawn from advertising agencies, production companies, and major networks, all of whom are themselves past Silver Telly recipients. Winning in such a competitive field is notable for any production team, but especially so for an in-house health system video unit working alongside patients rather than professional actors.
Why It Matters Locally
For Mobile-area residents, the awards are more than a professional accolade. USA Health operates as the region’s academic medical center, and how it communicates about patient care, from ALS treatment to pediatric services, can shape public understanding of the resources available close to home. Videos like the ones featuring Cantley and Cole are used to help prospective patients and their families understand what treatment at USA Health facilities actually looks like, offering a firsthand window into the experience beyond a clinical brochure. Both award-winning videos remain available for viewing on the USA Health website, allowing local families to see the stories that impressed an international panel of judges.