1. Social Media at Rush
May 3, 2012
Marie Mahoney & Deb Song

2. Social Media at Rush
History
• Launched Twitter, Facebook, YouTube in summer 2009.
• Rush InPerson blog, Rush News Blog launched in autumn 2009.
Staff
• Social media activity managed within Marketing and Communications and
Public Relations
• Social media manager – Average 60 minutes daily on posting and
monitoring
• Policy developed in concert with legal, human resources, compliance
• Collaboration with university, alumni relations, fund-raising, archives,
among others
2

3. Social Media Part of Integrated
Marketing and Advertising Effort
The Department of Marketing and Communications at Rush University Medical Center is responsible for
a multidisciplinary marketing and advertising strategy that uses a mix of tactics that support and
reinforce one another. Social media activities are part of the mix.
Quarterly newsletter, mailed Video “back
to approximately 200,000 story” for 30-
Chicago-area households. second TV ad
spots
Various program-
specific print
collateral pieces
Clinical
trial
ads
Newspaper
ads
3

4. Rush Social Media Components
• Rush InPerson blog
• Rush News Blog
• Facebook (medical
center, university
and alumni pages)
• Twitter
• YouTube channel Use Web site to lead users
to social media sites
• Flickr
• Yelp
• foursquare
4

5. Don’t just pitch the media.
Be the media.

6. Why?
• Direct patient channel: Direct conversation
with the patient
• Media relations: The media is there looking
for stories and sources
• Crisis communications: Platform to take
control of the message and keep community
updated in real-time
• Easy-to-use platform
• Can post content faster and in real time

7. Media Relations Changing Role
• Staff and budget cuts at
news stations
• News media relying on
media relations
departments more and
more
• National news media
asking media relations to
conduct, videotape and
download interview to
their FTP sites

8. Using Social Media to Promote Health
and Medical News
Rush News Blog
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube

9. Types of Stories on
Rush News Blog
• Posting evergreen story ideas and health tips.
• Comments from doctors on breaking health
care news such as mammogram screening
guidelines, metal-on-metal hip controversies.
• Posting videos and pitches for stories that
might not warrant a news release.
• Posting announcements and news releases
which go out on an RSS feed.

10. Mainstream Media Facilitated by
Social Media
Used blog to highlight
Rush’s earthquake relief
efforts in Haiti.
Rush garnered media
coverage on all the local
news outlets in Chicago
including, Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Sun-Times, ABC-7,
CBS-2, NBC-5, WGN-9,
WTTW’s Chicago Tonight,
WBBM-AM, WGN-AM, etc.