Mayo Clinic has been inducted into the Healthcare Internet Hall of Fame Class of 2012 at the 16th Annual Healthcare Internet Conference in Las Vegas. Mayo is one of two organizations that received the honor for Innovative Products and Services. Additionally, Mayo Clinic was honored with five eHealthcare Leadership Awards, presented by eHealthcare Strategy & Trends.
"When I think of trailblazing organizations that were doing things unheard of at the time, the Mayo Clinic immediately comes to mind. Mayo has always been ahead of its time in patient education, including online offerings, and continues to set the standard that others emulate," says Kathy Divis, president of Greystone.net and a judge for the Hall of Fame. "They greatly deserve a spot in the Healthcare Internet Hall of Fame for their innovations in online education and the use of social media."
Mayo Clinic's five eHealthcare Leadership Awards include platinum awards for "Best Overall Internet Site" (Healthcare System category) and "Best Health/Healthcare Content" (for both Healthcare System and Consumer General Health Site categories), a gold award for "Best Overall Internet Site" (Consumer General Health Site category), and a silver award presented to Mayo Clinic Health System for "Best Overall Internet Site" (Healthcare System category). The awards were presented in mid-November.
Patient and consumer education has been part of Mayo Clinic's mission since the organization's beginning nearly 150 years ago. In the early 1980s, Mayo Clinic began publishing consumer health information for the public in newsletters and books. By the early 1990s, Mayo Clinic recognized the importance of electronic media and began producing CD-ROM titles, including The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. In 1996, Mayo Clinic started Mayo Health Oasis, one of the first health information websites. The name changed to MayoClinic.com in 2000. Now, in 2012, the site receives nearly 30 million unique visits per month from all over the world. Proceeds from the advertising and syndication of the site support medical education and research at Mayo Clinic.
A team of Web and publishing professionals and medical experts work together to produce Mayo Clinic's health information. Through this collaboration, consumers everywhere have access to the experience and knowledge of the more than 3,700 physicians, scientists and researchers of Mayo Clinic.
The Healthcare Internet Hall of Fame honors men, women and organizations that have made outstanding, long-lasting contributions to the health care Internet industry. The organization's purpose, while honoring innovation, is to ensure that the history of the industry is preserved for future generations. Inductees are selected by an independent Board of Judges. Other 2012 inductees include PatientsLikeMe, Community Health Network of Indianapolis, Ed Bennett and Mark Gothberg.
The eHealthcare Leadership Awards program was developed and first presented 13 years ago by eHealthcare Strategy & Trends, an industry resource published by Health Care Communications in Rye, N.Y. Approximately 240 health care organizations, representing a broad industry spectrum, were recognized for their outstanding websites and digital communications at a special presentation during the conference. Winners of the 2012 eHealthcare Leadership Awards were selected from nearly 1,100 entries. A total of 115 individuals familiar with health care and the Internet judged the entries.
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