Project 3: Social Networking Plan for Hospitals or Health Care System (i.e., Group of Hospitals and Services)

We're doing things a bit out of order for this post (but it's only because this one has been done for a long time and was awaiting the posting of the assignments before it).  For the third project, I've been tasked with developing a Social Networking plan for hospitals.  The hospital in my example will be known as "Weller Hospital".

Mission Statement:

It is the Weller Hospital System’s mission to utilize the recent advances in the area of Social Networking and Media in a manner that makes the populous healthier and well informed about about the healthcare system, advances in healthcare, and overall wellness.  It is our hope that in doing so, we will do our part in increasing knowledge and overall life expectancy for not just our patrons, but the world.

The responsibility of managing Weller Hospital’s new social media capabilities will be left to a team of two to three individuals.  These individuals will form a new team called the Social Networking and Media division.  The Social Networking division will report to the Vice Presidents in charge of IS and PR.  The VPs will work together to help determine the direction that the Social Networking division will take in their delivery of hospital content.  The Social Networking and Media division (with guidance from their superiors) will deliver content via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and a blog.  These accounts will deliver noteworthy, valuable content, making them an integral part of the hopsital’s daily operations.  

Weller Hospital on Facebook(Facebook.comWellerHospital):
Weller Hospital’s Facebook presence will be that of a Facebook page (as opposed to a normal account, where anyone who is a “friend” of the Weller Hospital page can post comments).  Facebook users will be able to “Like” our page.  In turn, they will receive updates on the activities of the hospital in real time.  The “Info” section of our page will contain a summary of our establishment.  This includes our address, telephone numbers, history, specialties, and sponsors.  The “Posts” that we put on our “Wall” will contain information pertaining to health news and advice, seminars being held at the hospital, health/hospital alerts, and events (most of which would be charity events towards special causes).

Weller Hospital on Twitter (Twitter.com/WellerHospital):
Like our Facebook presence, Weller Hospital’s Twitter presence will keep our Followers up to date on the happenings of the hospital.  Followers of our Twitter account will receive updates (known as “Tweets”) very similar to those found on our facebook page.  Followers will also be able to ask questions regarding our updates, in addition to any other queries they may have regarding our establishment.  We will also follow other health-related Twitter accounts (Other hospitals, seasoned health-care professionals, etc) and “Re-Tweet” (re-post) any of their updates that we feel would be of value to our followers.  The Social Networking and Media division will make use of URL shortening websites (such as www.bit.ly) to aid them in including links to content in their tweets without exceeding the 140-character tweet cap.  In addition, we will update the wait time of our emergency room every 30 minutes, giving potential patients a realistic idea of how long it will take to receive medical attention from our staff.  It is our hope that other hospitals will follow our lead in this respect, as it would provide patients with a powerful tool that they can use to take charge of their treatment.  It also has the potential to encourage hospitals to make strides toward reducing wait times, thereby encouraging competition amongst hospitals.  So long as this approach is applied responsibly, patients will come out as the winners (as will the hospitals with the shortest wait times).

Weller Hospital on YouTube (Youtube.com/user/WellerHospital)
Our YouTube channel will serve as the multimedia portal of Weller Hospital.  There, we will post videos relating to the hospital, including the type of work that we do, guided tours of our facilities, messages from our Medical, Surgical, Nursing and Research Staffs.  Also, patrons can find informative videos on a variety of health-related topics.  These videos would aim to assist patrons in taking their health in their own hands by demonstrating activities and behaviors that they can adopt in their everyday lives.  In addition, snippets/recaps of any hospital-related events (our own recordings, in addition to content sourced from other online news sources) will also be posted, allowing visitors of our YouTube channel to gain awareness of our activities.
For example, our Oncology department may post a video showing how to do a self Breast Exam, similar to the one found here: http://bit.ly/gRxesn
Also, our Head Dietitian may post a video aimed at college students demonstrating how to eat healthy on a budget, similar to the one found here: http://bit.ly/dO1wDd

The Weller Hospital Blog (www.WellerHospital.com/blog)
The Weller Hospital Blog will serve as the keystone of our social online presence.  The blog is the section that a majority of the content for the other sections (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube) will originate.  The Weller Hospital Blog will be unique in that it will be the only part of our online presence that is not solely administered by the Social Networking and Media division.  Select individuals within the hospital (The President, Vice-Presidents, department heads, etc.) will also have access to the blog.  This access will enable them to create posts pertaining to the hospital and it’s daily operations.  For instance, the President can have a section called the “President’s Corner” where s/he can create weekly or monthly posts pertaining to the hospital, including recent events, future events, and thoughts on how they effect the hospital, immediately and long term.  A post from the President might read something like this:

“I’m pleased to announce a new partnership with Winston University.  This new partnership will help to bring both establishments at the forefront of the healthcare industry.  I am quite optimistic at the prospect in training the next generation of healthcare professionals.  Together, we will blaze a trail that will serve as the standard by which other healthcare establishments are  measured.”

Others, may be less grand, but just as (if not moreso) informative.  A post from the head of Oncology might look like the following:

“It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Fellows from the Hardiman Institute for Cancer Research.  Together, we’ve made great progress developing techniques for earlier detection of Pancreatic Cancer.  You can read all about it here.  For those of you pressed for time, you can watch a clip from our 60 Minutes piece here.”

A post from the head of our Pharmacology Department would resemble the following:

“As with most things, the difference between name brand prescriptions and their generic counterparts is minute at best.  However, counterfeit drugs pose a much greater threat to our overall health.  Here are some questions to ask your pharmacist” link to pharmacology news article.

These posts, along with the content mentioned in the Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube sections, will aid our patrons in becoming healthier individuals by making them better informed in all aspects of healthcare, thus raising their awareness of not just the healthcare industry as a whole, but their own overall health in the process.  

These benefits however, are only the beginning.  Before we know it, we’ll be using the Social Networking and Media division as the springboard for a major portion of the hopsital’s daily operations.  Our Social Networking and Media activities won’t be the first of their kind.  However, the tight integration and between social networking mediums that we will exhibit will usher in a new age of healthcare.  One that will foster more cooperation and collaboration between healthcare professionals/institutions.  We will begin to feed off of one another, building upon each other’s ideas, thus leading to innovation through cooperation (and possibly friendly competition).  As we embrace our new Social Networking and Media tools, we will make our patients feel more welcome.  Welcome to pose better, more thought out questions to our healthcare professionals.  More welcome to take charge of their own overall health.  The hopsital will eventually be associated with health and wellness, not as a place where sick and hurt people go.

The tools we will have at our disposal will allow us to better educate everyone.  Doctors, patients, families of patients, students, the young, along with the young at heart.  We will become a hub for health and wellness resources.  Potential patients will become more familiar about our establishemt, the services we provide, and the procedures that we perform.  Students and doctors will be able more accessible to each other, allowing classes, demonstrations, and seminars to take place more regularly, regardless of location.  Family and friends of patients can rest easier when they are more familiar with the facilities and conditions that their loved ones are being cared for under.  All of these things will boost the confidence and capabilities of Weller Hospital, thus propelling us to the forefront of the healthcare industry. As such, it would be well worth it for us to pool together whatever resources are necessary for us to make this division a reality.