Hospitals using social media

I just had a tour of the impressive Dublin (Ohio) Methodist Hospital from a good friend, Nathan Burt, who is a graduate fellow working with the executive team. The design of the hospital allows maximum natural sunlight which helps in the healing process. When I get sick, take me there.

Part of our discussion was about how hospitals are using social media. Here are some examples:

Example #1:
Surgeons send tweets from OR
Why #1: Patients who may be undergoing that surgery soon would like to know the details
Why #2: Other surgeons who will be performing the same surgery would like to learn

Idea #1: What if we also encouraged the patient to send tweets before and after the surgery?
Idea#2: Would patient that underwent the surgery be willing to exchange tweets with the person about to undergo the surgery?

Example #2:
Running a Hospital Blog and Hospital CEO on Twitter
Why #1: Engage stakeholders in a conversation
Why #2: Proactive transparency vs. Reactive transparency (face crisis head on)
Why #3: Promote hospital brand
Why #4: Top down leadership approach that sets example for organization

Example #3:
Cleveland Clinic Florida Facebook Group
Why #1: Authentic client testimonials ("This hospital is the reason my wife is living a normal life again."
Why #2: Employees can share videos to build a sense of community
Why #3: Become part of the conversation that is already happening