Connecticut Department of Public Health offers RDAC expanded website and social‑media support

Connecticut’s Department of Public Health told the Rare Disease Advisory Council that the agency has migrated to a new website platform and can support an expanded RDAC web presence, subpages and embedded multimedia if the council provides consolidated content.

Nelia (DPH staff) said the new platform adds capabilities beyond meeting minutes and agendas and can include subpages, embedded YouTube or Vimeo videos, photos and downloadable PDFs. She asked the council to deliver a single Word document with the content and hyperlinks the council wants published; DPH staff offered to preview drafts and run iterative edits with RDAC members before publication.

Nelia noted that the state’s site templates retain a consistent agency look but that content blocks, images and embedded videos are supported. She also cautioned RDAC members that placement of advocacy or legislative priorities on a DPH‑hosted page may raise internal agency concerns because the RDAC includes state‑agency representatives and some content could be interpreted as advocacy; DPH offered to return with specific guidance if the council wanted to post legislative priorities.

Why it matters: A modern, navigable website and curated social media can make RDAC resources, meeting materials and patient resources easier to find. DPH said it can host materials and link to external advocacy and patient‑group sites and recommended an executive‑team or small working group to prepare content.

Provenance: DPH website discussion and technical guidance appear at transcript blocks 2248.52–2369.50.