August 1, 2024
Shauna Assadzandi, MD, chair of AMDA’s Social Media Committee, has a vision of the future, and it includes engaging Society members and other stakeholders on social media and using various platforms to encourage and enable communication, education, information exchanges, and even some fun. “I love my AMDA family, but I would feel somewhat disconnected between annual conferences. I am hoping that with social media, we can connect people all year round,” she says.
The Social Media Committee is relatively new, but it has hit the ground running. The group works with staff on the development and execution of strategy for AMDA programs and services, including but not limited to the annual conference and other educational programs, JAMDA, Caring for the Ages, podcasts, and webinars. The committee has determined what areas they want to see on social media and how they will take the lead in different areas and have themes throughout the year. For example, says Dr. Assadzandi, “We’ll be focusing on Nurse Practitioner Week this November.” She adds, “We also will spotlight a different trend every month and feature posts and videos on those topics.” Expect to see a mixture of videos, written posts, photos, and links on X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
The content will be informative, educational, insightful, and inspiring. But it also will be entertaining. “I think it will be fun to have videos of things like staff and members going to the Hill, the president and executive director talking from their offices or other venues, and members sharing stories,” Dr. Assadzandi says. For instance, the theme for February will be hidden talents, so there may be videos and posts featuring members who have interesting talents, pastimes, and hobbies.
Social media is a passion of Dr. Assadzandi’s, and she’s been successful at sharing it with others. She has handled some social media content and strategies for Caring for the Ages, and she is excited to bring her experience and skills to the Society. “I love this organization, and it’s important for me to spend time promoting it and our profession. We are more interdisciplinary in nature than ever, and it’s important to engage every member of the team. Social media is an excellent platform for that,” she says, “I want everyone to see why this is an amazing organization, and I think social media is the way to connect.” A Futures Program alum, Dr. Assadzandi immersed herself in the field early on, and she works to keep her finger on the pulse of what her colleagues think, need, and want.
In a world where everyone is hit by information overloads every day, Dr. Assadzandi says, “Social media is a way to help people stay in the know and understand what is happening and how new developments with things like the Physician Fee Schedule impact them. We hope to provide such information and involve every team member.” She also hopes the organization’s social media efforts will help attract students and new practitioners to the field. “Most people from younger generations get most of their information from some sort of social media. I don’t think that mailings and e-mail blasts are enough to engage these people,” she notes. She believes that things like videos and links to webinars and podcasts will help people see practitioners in action and help them imagine themselves practicing in this setting.