Social media is quickly becoming a hot topic for an increasing number of Canadian healthcare organizations. Driven by the growing popularity of social media services such as Twitter and Facebook and its impact on recent current events, communication experts, mid-level managers, and even some executives at Canadian healthcare organizations are exploring or, at the very least, are thinking about how to make use of social media.

B Sharp recognizes the importance of social media to Canadian healthcare organizations and wants to encourage active experimentation of this important communications channel. The B Social Program offers tangible support to Canadian healthcare organizations planning to offer a new social media program that supports or promotes a healthcare service. Applications can be sent electronically by email to bsocial@bsharp.com.

Objectives

The B Social program has three major objectives:

• Raise awareness of how Canadian healthcare organizations use social media.
• Encourage Canadian healthcare organizations to use social media creatively.
• Demonstrate B Sharp’s interest in and commitment to use social media for health.

Program Overview

The B Social Program provides financial and other tangible support to Canadian healthcare organizations. Twice a year, B Sharp will accept applications from eligible organization and will award the organization that best meets the program criteria $2,500 in cash. An additional three organizations will be selected in each cycle to receive a “flip cam” style video camera (approximate value $250).

The first round of B Social funding closed in June 2011.  Winners were announced in the fall of 2011.  A second round of funding is anticipated in the winter of 2012.

Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the B Social Program, organizations must:

• Be incorporated as a legal for-profit or non-for-profit entity either federally or provincially.
• Offer some form of healthcare or healthcare promotion services.

Organizations selected in each funding round for a cash award will not be eligible to participate in subsequent funding rounds.

The winning organizations must agree to use of their name in any publicity related to the B Social Program that B Sharp chooses to produce.

Application Process

Eligible organizations interested in participating in the B Social Program must submit a 500 word (minimum) to 1,000 word (maximum) essay describing how the cash award will be used to support a planned social media program or to enhance a social program already in existence. Essays must be submitted on the organization’s letterhead and must include the name and contact information of the person in the organization who is submitting the application. Applications can be sent electronically by email to bsocial@bsharp.com.

Applications will become the property of B Sharp and may be used as the basis for a white paper and/or articles on the use of social media in healthcare.

Criteria

Applications will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Extent to which the proposed social media program supports or promotes the delivery of healthcare services.
• Level of involvement by healthcare services delivery staff in the proposed social media program.
• Unique or innovative aspects of the proposed use of social media.

Judges

Applications will be reviewed and assessed by a volunteer panel of judges consisting of:

• Michael Martineau, VP, Sales & Marketing, B Sharp Technologies
• Colleen Young, founder, #hcsmca
• Bill Pascal, CTO, Canadian Medical Association
• Nicole Filiatrault, Digital Media Communicator, Canada Health Infoway
• Ann Fuller, Director of Communications, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
• Richard Booth RN, MScN, Doctoral Candidate, University of Waterloo
• Elaine Huesing, Publisher, Healthcare Information Management & Communications Canada