Last year’s question was easy: Are you on Facebook? This year’s is a bit more complicated: Is your anesthesiologist? Yes, the billion-dollar healthcare industry has entered the world of social media, using sites like Twitter and Facebook to market, educate, and everything in between. Here’s how three St. Louis hospitals have jumped on the virtual bandwagon.
St. Louis Children’s Hospital on YouTube: Since starting its own YouTube channel in January 2008, Children’s has created nearly 100 short videos, ranging from a story on a bone-marrow breakthrough to a doctor addressing vaccine safety with regard to autism. youtube.com/childrenshospitalstl
BJC HealthCare on Twitter: BJC staff use the microblogging site Twitter as a way to share both general health news and institutional announcements (e.g., when a new Siteman Cancer Center podcast has been recorded and uploaded). But it gathered increased attention in April, when the hospital invited KSDK’s Kay Quinn to live-tweet a surgery performed by BJC doctors. twitter.com/barnesjewish
St. Anthony’s Medical Center on Facebook: The St. Anthony’s team posts a host of content here, including snapshots of facilities, videos of patient testimonials, event announcements, and comments from what sound like happy employees. facebook.com/pages/saint-louis-mo/st-anthonys-medical-center/53927368529
