Up Periscope: Mayo Uses New Technology to Highlight History and More
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It might seem like the gang at the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media has all the fun — trying out new technologies, testing new ideas, using the latest techy slang. Of course, they're also trying new tools in full view of the public. They are, however, quite adept at that. And they know who to go to when they need a sure thing. In this case, we're talking about Matt Dacy, director of Mayo Clinic Heritage Hall.
Dacy was one of the first to "Periscope" as a verb. And, while he wasn't the very first, we like the new/old balance, as well as Dacy's perspective on it, so we'll highlight his experience. After a brief peek into the Periscope, that is.
When Mayo launched its Periscope account in June, Lee Aase, director of the Center for Social Media, noted that the platform "allows anyone with an iOS or Android phone to broadcast video instantly and directly — livestream!" (The enthusiasm and exclamation point are his.) He also noted that, "We think Periscope is the best choice for Mayo Clinic to explore this live video 'space' (as they say in the business)." One unique feature of Periscope is that the live-streamed videos are archived for 24 hours. Then they're live-deleted. Aase and friends have found a way around this, however.
Dacy took his turn at the Periscope on Aug. 5, offering a live, interactive video tour of Mayo Clinic Heritage Hall on the Rochester campus. The museum tells Mayo's story, connecting visitors to our history, current activities, and vision for the future. "When Lee said he wanted to include Heritage Hall on Periscope, I thought he was talking about a World War II submarine artifact," Dacy tells us. "Then he explained Periscope is a new way to communicate with people, so I was all in. After all, the Mayos had one of the first telephones in this part of the country, so I’m sure the brothers would approve of the latest practices in spreading the word." And it was fun, he says, to provide a tour that people all around the world could see and respond to in "real time."
Dacy started his tour with an antique ambulance just outside Heritage Hall in the Mayo Building. "Why is an antique ambulance here?" he asks. "To remind our patients and our staff that we've always been about the business of serving humanity. Technology will change … but the values will never change. Our value is serving people. We just do it in the most advanced ways of every era." And in 1905, Dacy notes, that ambulance was "state of the art."
You can see more from Dacy here. If you’re still craving more history after that, take a video tour of Mayo’s Historical Suite led by Dacy’s colleague, Renee Ziemer. (If you have ideas for other Periscope features — historic or otherwise — send an email to socialmediacenter@mayo.edu.) And if you want to check out a live Periscope stream, download the app and tune in today at 3 p.m. CDT when Aase and friends will be broadcasting live from Mayo Clinic Square. We'll post a link to the archived broadcast on the In the Loop blog when it's available. And be sure to share your comments below, Then, you can use the handy social media tools to share this story with others.