Presenters at the DPH Social Media workshop included, from left, Jessica Corbitt-Dominguez, Lisa Duke, Carrie Gann and Ginger Heidel.

DPH's first social media workshop was held March 21 in Macon and focused on how DPH will maximize use of this powerful communication tool.

 

A panel of social media professionals presented the possibilities and best practices for websites, Facebook, Twitter and other emerging forms of internet-based communications. Panelists included Carrie Gann, DPH health communications specialist; Ginger Heidel, co-owner of Heideldesign, a full-service web design and development firm; Jessica Corbitt-Dominguez, public affairs manager for Fulton County; and Lisa Duke, business development manager of Simplified Technology Solutions, Inc.  

 

The audience was comprised of public information officers, information technology professionals and dozens of others involved in the work of disseminating public health messages at the state or local level. It was a workshop well received by this group.

 

"The social media workshop was a great tool to emphasize the necessity of social media in getting public health messages out to our community," said Jennifer Jones, risk communicator/public information officer for North Central Health District 5-2. "Social media isn't the only communication method that communicators use, but it is certainly a powerful one."

 

Larry Walker, risk communicator/public information officer for East Central Health District 6-0, said the district's IT director plans to utilize one of the speaker's expertise for Facebook.

 

Bringing together public health professionals with differing primary disciplines had its advantages, said Hayla Folden, risk communicator/public information officer for LaGrange Public Health District 4-0.       

 

"It is the best workshop designed to meet the challenges and barriers of moving us into more use of social media," Folden said. "Having [information technology] staff and [public information officers] from around the state together in one room allowed us to see how our peers are using social media and how the IT staff are making it possible while maintaining firewall safety and security of the infrastructure."

 

"I see social media as the primary information conduit of the future," said Scott Minarcine, DPH'S public health emergency preparedness director.

 

Minarcine noted inherent challenges, as social media is rapidly evolving, but adds that the challenge should not discourage involvement.

"Failing to engage social media as both a situational awareness tool and an outreach/public information tool now, puts us at risk for not only having to work harder to get our message out to the public, but could lead to real world consequences during disasters related to lack of situational awareness and ability to get the right information, to the right people, at the right time," Minarcine said.