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Updated: July 8, 2019 On the record

Diane Atwood: blogger and podcaster on health

Diane Atwood Photo / Tim Greenway Health reporter Diane Atwood in Portland.
By Maureen Milliken

Diane Atwood was a health reporter at WCSH-TV 6 for more than 20 years, and then marketing and public relations manager for Mercy Hospital in Portland. She now is a full-time blogger and podcaster on health issues, with a focus on aging and isolation. Mainebiz caught up with her recently.

Mainebiz: How did your path lead to what you’re doing now?

Diane Atwood: I left Mercy Hospital in 2011 to pursue a longtime dream of being a freelance writer. My plan was to write content for clients in the health care field. My daughter Katharine suggested that I start a blog to practice my writing skills and provide a site for potential clients to visit. I had no idea what a blog was, but she set me up with one and suggested the name “Catching Health.” The moment I started blogging, I was hooked. It was like being a health reporter again, only I was the boss. After a few years, I decided to work only on the blog, and in 2017 added a podcast.

MB: What brought about your recent focus on aging?

DA: I attended a conference on rural aging last fall. A major focus was on the prevalence of loneliness and isolation among older people. Maine has the oldest population, it’s the most rural state, and 58% of Mainers over 65 live in rural areas. I wrote about the conference and couldn’t shake the notion that, with my blog and podcast, I was in a position to possibly have an impact. I decided to do a special podcast series and travel throughout the state interviewing people 60-plus about their perspectives on aging. I call it “Conversations about Aging.” I launched the series in February and it’s been wonderful. I get to connect with people on a personal level and then share their stories and their wisdom. I always learn something important — such as that even when someone doesn’t seem lonely, he or she might be. I hope others will learn from the conversations, and that they will inspire a wider dialogue about how we view aging as individuals and as a society.

MB: You blog, podcast and host a Facebook group — what does each bring as far as reaching an audience?

DA: Obviously, I want my work to reach as many people as possible. Although I have followers around the globe, by choice, my primary audience is in Maine. Because I was the health reporter on WCSH for more than 20 years, I have the benefit of a strong brand and name recognition, but that only gets you so far. In order to reach a wider audience, whenever I publish something new on the blog I share the link on my “Catching Health” social media sites — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest. I also send out a weekly e-newsletter. My podcast is available on several major podcast networks, and for each episode I also write a post that includes additional information, such as a transcript and pictures. I started a private Facebook group as a complement to “Conversations about Aging.” It’s a great way to engage with people in a more intimate setting.

MB: Do you have business?

DA: I put a lot of time and effort into interviews, research and writing — it’s a full-time job. There are significant costs associated with building and maintaining a professional website. Now that I’m traveling around the state interviewing people, I have additional expenses. I’m grateful to have financial support from some wonderful sponsors — Spectrum Healthcare Partners, Avita of Stroudwater, Stroudwater Lodge and Weight Watchers Maine.

MB: What effect would you like your efforts to have?

DA: I want what I do to make a difference. There’s no better feeling for me than when someone takes the time to tell me that I have.

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