The inclusion of a health track at this week’s SXSWi is big news.  Health, once a second-thought in the social world, is finally seeing the light of day.  This reflects the maturation of the social health community and the progressive thinking of folks like Hugh Forrest and others inside of SXSWi.  I’m honored to have served on the advisory board for this year’s inaugural health track.  I hope we grow.

As excited as I am about the health panels, I’m interested in what lies beyond ‘health’ proper.  As I suggested during Blog World Expo, we all should be looking beyond the echoes of our own community in order to spur change within.  Health professionals at SXSWi should tap the expertise of those outside of health.  A nice example is how Johnson & Johnson brought in David Armano at BWE for an open whiteboard discussion on healthcare.  We need to cross-pollinate with people who have insight to the problems we face.  Other industries have fixed some of what we’re up against.

I’m pumped to see health friends old and new this week.  But I’ll also be thinking and listening outside the health box.