In a sea of controversy, blogs can be life rafts

“I have always lived on the edge because the view is better from there,” says Nick Jacobs, president and CEO of Windber (PA) Medical Center. “I also find life to bea lot more challenging when I’m driving a little bit ahead of my headlights.” But in this instance, Jacobs isn’t referring to his hospital’s latest expansion effort or its trial vaccination program—he’s talking about blogging.

Although many hospitals avoid starting a blog for fear of sparking bad publicity, Jacobs has found in many cases that the opposite is true. When used appropriately, blogs can be an effective means of damage control for hospitals.