Clinic creates tight-knit community through a bustling Facebook page

When a team at Springfield Clinic—Christy Broccardo-Davis, Courtney Enlow Hall, Kristin Fyans, Shelley Simon and Patty Kuhn—decided to create a Facebook page, they didn’t think it would become the bustling hub it is today. They just thought it would be a good way to get some free advertising.

But Springfield Clinic’s Facebook page soon became much more than that, earning it the title of Best Facebook Page in the 2012 PR Daily Awards.

While the page may have begun under humble circumstances, it quickly grew into an engaged community. The page now serves as a patient education center, as well as a source of Clinic news, health information, event details and other topics relevant to patients.

The page has a clear personality and, as a social network should, fosters two-way communication. Clinic employees often begin and contribute to discussions on the page, which enhances its community atmosphere.

To keep the conversations flowing, Springfield Clinic sticks to an editorial schedule. Each morning, the Clinic posts a new article from its Health Library. These posts include the latest medical news, background information on current events in the health industry, and new scientific studies.

The Clinic posts one to three times per day, depending on the news cycle. The Clinic tries to post on a variety of topics to keep things interesting, but will stick to one topic if the day calls for it. For example, when the state of Illinois stopped offering one of its most popular forms of health insurance, the Clinic posted more than usual to link to articles, share press releases, and keep fans up to date on breaking information.

To view the winning work, please click here.