Yesterday, the Health Standards blog announced that Healthcare Scene would be taking over the #HITsm Twitter chat. If you’re like me, then you’re probably a little shocked by the idea. At least I was when Chad (@ochotex) sent me an email asking me if I wanted to run the #HITsm chat. I was surprised, but excited by the opportunity to help lead a community that I love so much.
Much to Chad’s chagrin (I think), it took me a couple weeks to decide if I wanted the responsibility of taking it over. I know that organizing Twitter chats is a lot of work. It’s really amazing what Erica, Michelle, Angela and Chad have done over almost 6 years of hosting approximately 280 #HITsm chats. That’s a body of work for which they can be extremely proud. I hope that Healthcare Scene can live up to that high standard.
As I thought through this decision, I thought back to the early days of #HITsm. It was such an extraordinary time of discovery and connection for everyone involved. I’d been on Twitter for ~4 years before #HITsm was started, but I don’t think I really understood the extreme value of Twitter until the #HITsm community came together. Indeed, the community was the most powerful part of the experience and that carried over to in person meetings at conferences. It’s amazing to think through the hundreds and thousands of people that I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the #HITsm chat. They make so many parts of healthcare IT better.
While I still think that discovering new connections is a great part of #HITsm, I also think it’s time to think about how to grow it beyond just discovering new and fascinating people and companies. What that will be, I don’t yet know. What I do know is that connecting deeply with smart, passionate people is a recipe for amazing results. Healthcare needs this kind of deep connection and collaboration and I think #HITsm is one platform that can help make that a reality.
My plan for #HITsm is to involve as many people as possible as I carry on the tradition that has already been laid. I’ve reached out to a number of community members who will help me curate topics and hosts for the chat and we’ll need the support of hundreds more as we work to take #HITsm to the next level. Plus, if you’re passionate about a topic we should be discussing on #HITsm or have other ideas on how to make the community better, let us know on our contact us page or on Twitter (@techguy or @healthcarescene). We’re open to new ideas and we’re not afraid to experiment with something new that could benefit the community.
With that in mind, the first #HITsm chat that will be hosted by Healthcare Scene will be on December 2nd and we’re going to explore the question “What’s next for #HITsm?” We hope you will all attend the chat and share your thoughts on how the #HITsm chat can provide more value to the community. If you’ve never participated in the #HITsm chat before, all you have to do is watch and tweet your thoughts using the #HITsm hashtag on Twitter every Friday at Noon ET (9 AM PT).
Here’s the full schedule of #HITsm chats through the end of the year:
11/18 – #HITsm Chat by Health Standards
Hosted by Chad Johnson (@OchoTex) and @HealthStandards
11/25 – No Chat – Happy Thanksgiving!
12/2 – What’s Next for #HITSM?
Hosted by John Lynn (@techguy) from Healthcare Scene
12/9 – Innovation in Customer Experience and Digital Health
Hosted by Steve Sisko (@ShimCode) from ShimCode.com
12/16 – Reputation Management
Hosted by Erika Johansen (@thegr8chalupa) from Splash Media
12/23 – No Chat – Happy Holidays!
12/30 – No Chat – Happy New Year!
We’ll be working over the next couple weeks and months to create a permanent home on the Healthcare Scene network for the #HITsm community. Give us a little time to get it all together and then we’ll do our best to continue to make it better over time.
We’re excited to be part of #HITsm and look forward to shepherding it as we enter the next phase of its evolution!
I think it’s great that the first #HITsm chat under the new Healthcare Scene umbrella is “What’s Next for #HITSM?” That topic is very much in the spirit of social media to open up the discussion on how people would like to see this venerable healthcare IT chat evolve.
And I look forward to participating in chats hosted by new participants, those that may have not ever hosted a tweet chat before. For those interested in learning more about tweetchats – especially those individuals interested in hosting – check out these two blog posts:
The Four P’s of Hosting a Tweetchat: Preparing, Promoting, Performing & Pursuing
http://www.shimcode.com/2016/10/the-four-ps-of-hosting-tweetchat.html
Tips for Promoting and Hosting Tweetchats
http://www.shimcode.com/2016/09/tips-for-promoting-and-hosting.html
If anyone has any questions or is looking for some assistance in kicking off a tweetchat, I’m ready to help. Just reach out via my blog: http://www.shimcode.com
Steve S
Congrats! Well-deserved.