2024 Social Health Awards

It's that time of year again -- voting for the Social Health Awards is now taking place.

The Social Health Awards as sponsored by Health Union, and they recognize online health advocates who represent patients with a wide range of health conditions. There are 10 categories for the awards, ranging from Rookie of the Year to Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing efforts at caregiving, using social media, working as a team, etc. I have been blessed to have been nominated many times in the past (and thanks to those of you who have nominated me), and I was fortunate enough to have been a finalist twice. 

This year, I have been nominated in three categories (these are the descriptions from the awards website):

1) "Healthcare Collaborator: The Healthcare Collaborator category is for advocates who bridge the gaps between industry stakeholders and healthcare consumers. Whether speaking at conferences, consulting with healthcare companies, or using their experience to help change the healthcare industry, these Patient Leaders are impacting the healthcare landscape."

2) "Community Cultivator: A diagnosis can be life-changing, but fortunately, so can the support from an online community. The Community Cultivator category celebrates the online communities or forums that create an inviting space for newcomers while maintaining a safe place. Whether through online support groups, live events, or forum discussions, these leaders have mastered managing, moderating, and engaging their communities all to support others."

3) "Revolutionary Researcher: The Revolutionary Researcher category aims to celebrate the patients and caregivers who refuse to let medical jargon and data slow them down! The winner of this category stays up-to-date on the latest research, treatments, and clinical trials. This winner has a knack for transforming complex information into layman's terms for the greater community."

The nomination period is actually still going, and will continue until May 3.

But also happening now, and until May 3, is the voting.  

If you are interested in voting for me, you need to go to the voting page.  If you've done this in the past, the process is a little different this year. Instead of going to my profile and voting for me there, you need to go to the pull down menu for the category on the voting page. From there, scroll down the list of names until you find me: Bob McEachern (they should be alphabetical by first name, so look under "B.")

Be aware, though, that in order to vote, you need to provide an email address, and you'll be placed on Health Union's email list. That's not a bad thing -- check out their site Blood-Cancer.com, which I write for occasionally. Lots of good stuff there. But if you'd rather not share an email address and vote, that's fine. I appreciate your support in other ways, like reading the blog.

So thanks for considering voting for me in one or all three of the categories I've been nominated for. And thanks for reading.