At SingHealth's biennial Communications Summit, healthcare communicators gather to share insights, learn from each other and shape the future of healthcare communications. The summit brings together communications professionals from across Singapore's largest healthcare cluster, alongside industry leaders and external experts who enrich the programme with fresh perspectives and global best practices.

At this year's summit, the focus turned to a critical challenge facing healthcare organisations: how to maintain meaningful presence and build trust in an increasingly noisy digital landscape. Every scroll, like and share shapes the narrative of healthcare. The social media space demands more than mere visibility. It requires being unforgettable. As Seth Godin articulates in his seminal work, organisations need to be the purple cow: remarkable enough to stop people mid-scroll.

Why mindshare is power

"I prefer to keep a low profile."

"I'm not really into this."

"It feels risky."

These sentiments echo through hospital corridors and medical offices. In a field where precision and caution are virtuous, the seemingly unpredictable nature of social media can feel daunting. Yet this hesitation comes at a cost. In the absence of authoritative voices, misinformation fills the void. When healthcare leaders step back, less credible sources step forward.

Beyond personal branding

Thought leadership isn't about crafting a polished online persona. It's about alignment. It's where expertise meets resonance. The most influential healthcare voices don't just broadcast information; they create dialogue, conversations. They don't just share knowledge; they spark understanding.

Healthcare comms transcend traditional boundaries. Whilst statistics and data matter, it's the authentic voices of healthcare professionals sharing their experiences that create the strongest impact. Their genuine perspectives carry messages further than any corporate announcement could.

Engaging hearts, not just minds

Information informs. Stories transform.

Healthcare communications often focus on facts and figures. Yet people remember what made them feel - the story of a patient's journey to recovery, the breakthrough moment in a researcher's work, the dedication, resilience and courage that serve as a beacon of hope during a crisis.

The consistency of trust

This emotional connection isn't just about storytelling—it's about trust-building. Viral posts cannot build credibility alone. Trust is the compound interest of clarity, consistency and conviction, shown again and again and yet again. When audiences can rely on consistent, accurate, thoughtful insights, they find their trusted source for health information.

Becoming a super-spreader of ideas

The most powerful communication isn't found in press releases, memos or campaigns. It lies in the authentic voices of healthcare professionals sharing their values, beliefs and consistent delivery of care.

To claim mindshare in today's digital age, healthcare communicators must become catalysts for ideas worth spreading. The most contagious ideas in healthcare don't push; they pull. They spread because they matter. Because they resonate. Because they invite people in.

The real question

The question is no longer whether healthcare organisations should step into the social media space. The real question is: How boldly will they claim their place in it?

In an era where health information (and misinformation) spreads at the speed of a click, healthcare voices matter more than ever. The opportunity, and indeed the responsibility, exists to use these platforms to educate, inspire and build trust.

The goal is to be contagious but with purpose. To spread not just information but understanding. Not just facts, but faith in healthcare. Not just content, but confidence in science.

Because ultimately, owning mindshare isn't about institutional prominence. It's about the communities served, the patients cared for and the future of healthcare being created.

Jennifer leads strategic communications initiatives across Singapore’s largest healthcare group as SingHealth’s Deputy Chief Communications Officer. This article is adapted from her keynote address at the 2025 SingHealth Communications Summit.