Use of Social Media Tools: Public Health Examples
Session Archive
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Description
This session highlights a panel of volunteers from May's Hot Topics listening audience with examples of the uses of Social Media tools for public health settings. Uses include areas of emergency management such as H1N1 control, formulating health department policy on social media, disease control and contact tracing methods, organizing a Medical Reserve Corps, and many others. Panel members come from both small and large agencies with a variety of backgrounds but all share interest, enthusiasm, and experience in the use of social media for public health.
Registration Information
Registration for live events is coordinated by individuals representing our partner organizations in the Northwest. See our registration information to find your nearest contact.
If you have questions about registering for Hot Topics, or do not receive information for joining the session by Friday, August 13, please contact Sarah Paliulis.
Presenters
Marcus Deyerin, MA, works for the Whatcom County Health Department, where he is responsible for all aspects of the department’s Emergency Response Program, to include last year’s response to the H1N1 flu, as well as preparations for the 2010 Olympic Games. Prior to joining Whatcom County, Marcus served four years in the U.S. Army, and worked for the King County Office of Emergency Management. He holds a BA in East Asian Studies from the George Washington University, and a MA in Technology & National Security Policy from Georgetown University. Marcus is a member of the WA State Emergency Manager’s Association and the NW Washington Incident Management Team.
Krista Rietberg, MPH, is an epidemiologist with Public Health – Seattle & King County. She has in the communicable disease epidemiology and immunization section for 10 years. Her interests include vaccine preventable diseases and parental hesitancy to vaccines.
Audrey Gray, NREMT-B, REHS, was born and raised in Glenrock, WY. She graduated with a BS in Microbiology from Colorado State University in 2000 and joined the United States Peace Corps with an assignment to Tanzania, East Africa to teach high school biology and chemistry. Upon her return to the United States in 2002, she became an Environmental Health Specialist with the Casper-Natrona County Health Department. Audrey became an Emergency Medical Technician Basic in 2005 and volunteered with an ambulance service in Evansville, WY. Audrey was promoted to the position of Special Operations Manager in 2009 at the Casper-Natrona County Health Department, and now coordinates public health preparedness activities for Natrona County. Audrey also directs the activities of the Natrona County Medical Reserve Corps.
Susan Shelton, RS, CFSP, began her public health career as an environmental health educator with the Benton-Franklin Health District in 2000 and was awarded WSEHA’s Rookie Sanitarian of the Year Award in 2001. She also worked for the Department of Health Food Safety Program, primarily focusing on educational material development, from 2003-2005. Susan returned to the Benton-Franklin Health District in 2005 and became the surveillance program manager in 2007. She currently uses three separate Twitter accounts to promote public health activities: general health, West Nile virus, and food safety.
Nicole Staudinger is the Communications Specialist for the Josiah Hill III Clinic, a nonprofit environmental justice organization seeking to improve the health of underserved communities in Portland, Oregon. She is also a Social Media Organizer for Orlo Environmental Arts Magazine and the Transcription Volunteer Coordinator for Wisdom of the Elders, a Native American cultural preservation project. Prior to her current position, Nicole interned with Idealist.org as Social Media Coordinator for their Graduate Degree Program. She received her BA in Spanish from the University of Vermont and now specializes in the use of social media to advocate social change.
Learner Objectives
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
- Compare how different methods of communication fit different purposes and different audiences
- Describe how to employ a set of “new media” technologies (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) in various aspects of public health practice
- Describe the benefits and limitations of various “new media” technologies as tools for use in a public health setting
Target Audience
This session would be appropriate for the following audiences:
- Local and state public health practitioners
- Public health nurses
- Local and state emergency management staff
Slides and Related Resources
- Marcus Deyerin's slides
- Krista Rietberg's slides
- Audrey Gray's slides
- Nicole Staudinger's slides
- Responses to participant questions from the session
Casper-Natrona County Health Department Social Media Policy Documents
The following documents are provided to you as an example by the Casper-Natrona County Health Department. Included are their computer policy, which makes brief mention of social media, their draft social media policy, and other documentation forms.
