Social Media Policy

PURPOSE: Antelope Valley Medical Center’s (AVMC) use of social media enables the hospital to have dialogue, bring awareness about healthcare services, provide health education and hospital updates. It is with these purposes in mind that AVMC has implemented this policy for social media use. This policy is intended to provide direction and clarify the boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate use of social media. It is our obligation to monitor the participation of any and all online platforms to protect the brand equity and reputation of the hospital and its affiliates.

GUIDELINES: For the purpose of this policy, Social Media, refers to Antelope Valley Medical Center online platforms, including, but not limited to, the AVMC website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Yelp, Google, blogs, X (previously known as Twitter), and TikTok pages. Using the term Posts, includes but not limited to personal comments, blogs, photographs, videos and graphics. The term Affiliates will include, but not limited to students, vendors, volunteers, and contractors. The term Participants include bloggers and the general public participating online.

POLICY:
Social Media Policy for Site Visitors
Antelope Valley Medical Center welcomes and encourages open discussion on all our online platforms and participation with our social networking communities. The information provided by AVMC on these platforms are intended for educational and informative purposes only. Information posted is not intended as an endorsement, or a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

I. Please be aware that once you post something online, content is archived and traceable forever. Take caution when posting content, even in a private and closed online community. Exercise caution when posting medical information on any of our social media sites and do not disclose personal identifiable information like your location, social security number, medical record number, financial information, etc.

II. The opinions and/or views expressed on AVMC social media platforms represent the thoughts of individual participants, and not those necessarily of AVMC or any of its affiliates or any of their respective directors, employees, medical staff, or members of its respective board.

III. While AVMC makes every reasonable effort to monitor and/or moderate content posted on its social media platforms, we do not moderate all comments and cannot always respond in a timely manner to online requests for information, particularly outside of regular business hours.

IV. AVMC reserves the sole right to review, edit, and/or delete any comments it deems inappropriate. Comments including, but not limited to the following may be deleted or edited by the page administrators:

a. Abusive or threatening comments about an AVMC employee, affiliate, or any other participant on our social media sites.

b. Off-topic and redundant comments, as well as spam (this includes promotion of events, groups, pages, websites, organizations, and programs not related to or affiliated with the hospital).

c. Comments that use profane or vulgar language or “hate speech” (for example, including but not limited to racial, ethnic, or gender bashing language).

d. Personal attacks or defamatory statements or comments (i.e., making negative personal or untrue comments about a participant), instead of just criticizing his/her posting, opinion, or comments.

e. Comments that intentionally or unintentionally violate the privacy of our patients.

f. AVMC does not tolerate social media dialogue that does not conform to reasonable standards of civility. AVMC will take appropriate steps to ensure that dialogue on our social media sites follow such behavioral standards. Steps may include blocking any user and ending any communication with the blocked user or involving proper law enforcement authorities, including when the hospital feels that an actual violent threats have been made.

V. All links to other websites found on AVMC’s social media sites are provided as a service to readers, but such linkage does not constitute endorsement of those sites by AVMC, and as such we are not responsible for the content of external third party websites.

VI. By submitting content to any of AVMC’s social media sites or engaging in any content already posted, you understand, acknowledge and agree that this information is available to the public, and that AVMC may use this information for internal and external promotional and/or fundraising purposes. All information posted or submitted through any of Antelope Valley Medical Center’s social media channels is subject to ownership of the hospital. As such, the hospital will decide how this information is used. Please note that other participants may use your posted information beyond the control of AVMC. If you do not wish to have the information you have made available via AVMC sites used, published, copied, and/or reprinted, please do not post on AVMC social media pages.

VII. Participants engaging in dialogue on AVMC social media sites are to respect confidentiality and to refrain from including, referring to or revealing individuals’ personal or medical data.