Beth Israel Deaconess CEO's blog picks up prizes

We have a winner.

Paul Levy’s blog Running a Hospital took first place in two medical weblog categories, part of a competition held by Medgadget, an Internet journal of emerging technologies. Its readers voted for their favorites in seven categories.

The Beth Israel Deaconess CEO’s blog captured Best Medical Blog honors, coming in ahead of Nashua, N.H., internist Dr. Kevin Pho’s blog Kevin, M.D., among others. Running a Hospital also took the prize in the health policies/ethics list, ahead of Newburyport Dr. Daniel Carlat's Carlat Psychiatry Blog and others.

“Alone among an excellent field of nominees, Running a Hospital is a blog that might actually change the way healthcare works in this country,” Medgadget's announcement said.

“I am honored to have won these two awards, especially because of the very high regard I have for the other blogs in both categories (which I regularly read),” Levy said in an e-mail interview. “It is clear that social media outlets like blogs are now important parts of the discussion and debate around health care issues, and I appreciate the support and encouragement and participation I get from my many readers.”