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Sec. Bigby: Social media 'essential' to HHS

E-mail | Print | Comments () Posted by Chelsea Conaboy April 25, 2011 12:11 PM

By Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff

I got a lot of good feedback last week about how -- and whether -- doctors should use social media. Some readers thought their physician should stay offline altogether. Others saw that tools like Twitter and Facebook are useful for getting the word out about public health issues and other topics but should be wielded with some common sense.

Navigating social media: Tips for MDs

Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services, weighed in on the department's blog:

My office’s Twitter account recently surpassed 1,000 followers – and is growing every day. We recently launched a blog for all Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies as a platform for communications with all residents. Similarly, agencies that fall under HHS, the Departments of Veterans’ Services (DVS) and Public Health (DPH) for example, are actively using Facebook pages to engage with stakeholders.
These important communications vehicles help us cultivate dialogue and debate about issues that impact all residents of the Commonwealth. Beyond postings to the content-rich HHS websites that branch out from the state’s main portal, mass.gov, we’re also blogging, using Facebook and ‘tweeting’ about the work we do. Through these various channels, my office and the agencies it oversees are fostering open, online conversation and garnering stakeholder feedback that reflects a wide range of perspectives.

Bigby says that exchange is "essential" to her department's work.

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About white coat notes

White Coat Notes covers the latest from the health care industry, hospitals, doctors offices, labs, insurers, and the corridors of government. Chelsea Conaboy previously covered health care for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Write her at cconaboy@boston.com. Follow her on Twitter: @cconaboy.