Mayo Clinic Unveils Healthcare-first Social Media Center

For a host of reasons, 4,300 of the nation’s 5,000 hospitals have no social media presence whatsoever. A lack of guidance, however, can no longer be counted as an excuse.

On July 27, the Mayo Clinic announced the debut of a healthcare-first Social Media Center, a tool the organization hopes will “accelerate effective application of social media tools throughout Mayo Clinic and to spur broader and deeper engagement in social media by hospitals, medical professionals and patients to improve health globally.”

To that end, Mayo Clinic is lending its expertise through consulting services that encompass coaching hospital leadership, speakers, and in-depth training opportunities, including “week-long ‘boot camps’ held on one of Mayo Clinic’s campuses.”

The Center for Social Media will be a big topic of discussion at Mayo’s second Social Media Summit, which will be held September 27-29 on Mayo Clinic’s Jacksonville, FL. The organization will also unveil a Health Social Media Network there that “will provide access to tools, resources and guidance for organizations and individuals wanting to apply social media in health and health care.”

For now, the site basically houses (a very informative) blog discussing topics such as keeping staff in the loop, dealing with the legal issues surrounding social media, and the importance of asking for forgiveness rather than permission.

"While hospitals and health care workers will likely be our main focus for these services externally, we also expect to help health-related nonprofits, professional organizations and patient associations," Victor Montori, MD, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist and the center's interim medical director. "We want Mayo Clinic to be the authentic voice for patients and medical providers, and also to provide platforms where their voices can be heard."

Additional resources:

• Sharing Mayo Clinic
• Mayo Clinic's YouTube Channel
• Mayo Clinic's Facebook page