PHILADELPHIA — May 1, 2023 — Health Union, the leader in social health, is calling for nominations for the 2023 Social Health Awards. In its second consecutive year, the Social Health Awards continue to recognize and celebrate the people who are essential to the ongoing conversations and connections made through social health – the dynamic, real-time action people take to find meaningful connections and share information that impact their health journey.

Nominations for the 2023 Social Health Awards are open to patient and caregiver leaders who are active members of an online health community and making a difference in healthcare. Nominations can be submitted starting today at SocialHealthNetwork.com/Awards and will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET on May 22.

Patient and caregiver leaders who are at least 18 years old can be nominated – either by themselves or others – in one, or more, of the 10 categories. The range of categories showcases diverse types of patient community engagement and various forms of advocacy across all condition areas and social platforms. Categories include:

• Advocacy Trailblazer
• Best Team
• Caregiving Champion
• Community Cultivator
• Creative Contributor
• Healthcare Collaborator
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Revolutionary Researcher
• Rookie of the Year
• Social Media Master

“It is imperative for the healthcare industry to see examples of the positive impact of amplifying responsible, authentic, meaningful patient engagement and patient leadership,” said Amrita Bhowmick, Health Union’s chief community officer. “The Social Health Awards celebrates the people living with chronic and complex health conditions who are driving unique and impactful conversations about health, and who are modeling the true impact of social health.”

Once nominations close, six finalists will be identified in each category through a combination of endorsements and review by a panel of patient leader judges. The finalists will be announced in late June.

A panel of industry judges will then evaluate the finalists to identify the winners in each category. Judges will evaluate nominees for each category based on a) their use of social media, b) their fit for the award/category and c) how effectively they engage and share information with their online community.

Winners will be recognized in July at the culmination of Connexion, Health Union’s unique, two-day virtual event that encourages and empowers patient leaders to connect and share with each other through a variety of meaningful events tailored to their needs. For the second consecutive year, winners will be invited to join Health Union on stage at the Social Health Awards celebration at the 2023 Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards Ceremony during the Digital Pharma East conference on Sept. 13 in Philadelphia.

Healthcare industry professionals are also encouraged to nominate deserving patient leaders for the Social Health Awards. More information about the Social Health Awards – including full descriptions of the nomination categories, frequently asked questions and previous years’ winners – can be found at SocialHealthNetwork.com/Awards.