“I think, on a larger scale, one of the reasons why an Emmy nomination means a lot to me as a media professional is that you are being recognized by your peers,” Dr. Haddad said. “It feels good to know that your work has been recognized and appreciated by others in your industry.”

Dr. Haddad’s three nominations are a part of the record-breaking 10 nominations received by PBS39 in advance of the 35th Annual Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards, to be presented Saturday, September 9, 2017 at the Hershey Lodge, 325 University Dr., Hershey, PA.

“I am so proud of all of the people who work here at PBS39,” Dr. Haddad said. “Every single one of these people care so much about the work and making it great, and I’m just so lucky to work with them, and so thrilled that all of them are being recognized. It’s a group effort.”

Dr. Haddad’s was nominated as an Executive Producer in the Arts Program/Special category for Second to None: Liberty High School Grenadier Band. The PBS39 original production traces the history of the Liberty High School Grenadier Band, from its beginnings in 1926 to the present day, and shares some of its most memorable moments in history, including performing at President Truman’s inaugural parade, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Pasadena Rose Parade, and at anniversaries of the Pearl Harbor Bombings.

“It was just a great community project. So many partners and so many people supported it,” Dr. Haddad said. “The Grenadier Band has a long history. It has pageantry, it’s visually beautiful, and it’s historical. It’s a diverse group of kids from every socioeconomic level, every ethnicity. It’s just a really impressive organization, and it was a great pleasure to work with them.”

Dr. Haddad’s nomination under Health Program/Special was for her work as Executive Producer on Close to Home: Cancer Survivorship. The program follows physicians and their patients through their cancer battles, exploring themes of fear, hope, faith, journey, advocacy, and caregiving.

Dr. Rick Boulay of Lehigh Valley Health Network was also nominated in the same category for his work narrating the Close to Home special.

“As a cancer physician, I fully understood the breadth of the disease process. As a husband, son, and grandson of cancer survivors, I learned that I little understood the depth of the cancer journey. And, at my most vulnerable, my patients shared the wisdom of their survivorship, and everything changed,” Dr. Boulay said. “We are honored that NATAS Mid-Atlantic region recognized Close to Home: Cancer Survivorship as an Emmy nominee, and we are grateful to the survivors who so graciously shared their wisdom.”

The film is part of PBS39’s ongoing Close to Home series, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network, which addresses health issues in the Greater Lehigh Valley region. Another installment, Close to Home: Depression, was released this past spring, with future productions to highlight post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), homelessness, and opioid addiction.

“Oncology is a demanding field. It requires extraordinary clinical and technical expertise, creative problem-solving, and compassionate care to support and guide people as they face and fight a cancer diagnosis,” said Brian Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lehigh Valley Health Network. “It has been both an honor and a privilege for LVHN to work with PBS39, to help our community better understand and appreciate the unique struggles patients, families and physicians endure as they battle this disease. We hope this compelling documentary can be part of the treatment.”

In addition to being Emmy-nominated programs, both Close to Home: Cancer Survivorship and Second to None: Liberty High School Grenadier Band have been chosen for nationwide distribution by the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), a content distributor to PBS affiliates and other nonprofit broadcasters throughout the U.S.

“Our goal when we made Close to Home: Cancer Survivorship was to give people hope, and to help people understand that a cancer diagnosis isn’t what it was five years ago,” Dr. Haddad recalled. “So, we feel terrific about the fact that we can get this very hopeful message to a larger audience.”

The success of both programs – in terms of Emmy nominations and expanded reach – was made possible by community support from a number of prominent sponsors. Lehigh Valley-based corporation Air Products provided generous support to ensure the completion and success of each program.

“Air Products is extremely honored to be a sponsor of the outstanding Emmy-nominated programs at PBS39,” said Laurie Hackett, Manager, Community Relations and Philanthropy at Air Products. “Dr. Haddad’s work is exemplary, and we are lucky to have such talent, commitment, and passion in her and the team at PBS39.”

An International Affair

In addition to productions with local flavor, Dr. Haddad and PBS39 also welcomed acclaimed New York chef Erwin Schroettner to tape Erwin Cooks, a program with international appeal which has received a Mid-Atlantic Emmy nomination under Lifestyle Program Feature/Segment.

Erwin Cooks is described as “a reconsideration of the cuisine of Germany, Austria and Central Europe.” Schroettner and his team came to PBS39’s Morris Black Kitchen studio from Café Katja in New York City to tape the show’s cooking segments. The program also travels to Schroettner’s native Austria and other Central European nations to give a well-rounded taste of the dishes that have influenced the American plate.

In addition to the team’s nomination, Erwin Cooks also received two individual nominations: Schroettner received a nomination in the Program Host/Moderator category, while photographer Scott Wagner received one in the Photographer (Program) category.

“I’m absolutely thrilled for them,” said Haddad. “We are just delighted for our partners, and to be the distributor of their program.”