Medical Affairs Is Winning on Social—Here’s How
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Episode Summary
Medical Affairs is evolving, but are we evolving with it? In this episode of Transforming Medical Communications, host Wesley Portegies sits down with Kimberly Eskridge-Rose, a pioneering voice in digital transformation for Medical Affairs. Together, they discuss what it takes to move from cautious experimentation to a scalable and cross-functional social media strategy.
You’ll learn why the real risk isn’t being on social media, it’s not being there when misinformation takes the stage. Kimberly shares how her team made the leap from watching stakeholders online to building an integrated presence on platforms like X and BlueSky, how they secured compliance buy-in without friction, and why you don’t need all the answers before you start.
This is more than a case study. It’s a playbook for how Medical Affairs can own the conversation, responsibly, strategically, and at scale.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to:
- Build a compliant and multi-channel presence that meets stakeholders where they are
- Partner with compliance as a co-creator, not a blocker
- Turn social listening into a strategic advantage
- Use early wins (and metrics) to scale internal buy-in
- Move from reactive to proactive digital content planning
Before you hit play, ask yourself: Are you waiting for the perfect plan—or building trust in real time?
Guest at a Glance
Kimberly Eskridge-Rose is Executive Director of Digital Innovation and Medical Excellence at Travere Therapeutics. With deep experience across pharma, biotech, and agency, she leads bold, cross-functional initiatives that modernize how Medical Affairs engages digitally. Kimberly is especially known for pioneering scalable, compliant social media strategies that resonate with HCPs. Her stakeholder-first approach is shaping how medical teams show up in the digital space.
- Connect with Kimberly on LinkedIn
Host at a Glance
Wesley Portegies is the Chief Strategy Officer and Founder of Medical Communications Experts, an agency specializing in effective Medical Communication strategies for pharmaceutical companies. An experienced entrepreneur, Wesley started his first company at 19 and has built multiple successful companies. With over 20 years in the Medical Industry, both on the agency and industry side, he is driven by a passion for Medical Communications.
- Connect with Wesley Portegies on LinkedIn
Hot Takes and Key Highlights
- 03:55 – Social Media or Silence: Why the Risk of Not Engaging Is Bigger
For Kimberly and her team, the turning point came when they started seeing medical misinformation gain traction in nephrology forums. It wasn’t about bad actors, it was the misinterpretations of the data that was being shared in good faith, but without full context. That’s when they realized Medical Affairs had a duty to step into the digital space, not for promotion, but for clarification. If the conversation was already happening, silence wasn’t safe neutrality; it was lost ground.
“Social media is great, but with the volume of information and at the pace, misinformation is actually a big piece of it. And we felt like, at the Medical Affairs Organization, we had a responsibility actually to see if we could help provide more credible scientific information.”
- 06:54 – Why X (Formerly Twitter) Was the First Channel
Instead of defaulting to the ‘safe’ choice of LinkedIn, Kimberly’s team let data and behavior guide them. Their stakeholders, especially in nephrology, were already on X, actively participating in journal clubs, pathology case studies, and peer discussions. That real-time engagement gave X a strategic advantage over more static platforms. Their goal wasn’t to be where everyone else was, it was to be where the people who needed them were.
“They weren’t just there as individuals, they were there as groups and as professional societies… And so we knew that that was the place for us because they were already there, and so it made perfect sense.”
- 11:35 – Field-Backed Insights: How They Validated the Strategy
To avoid guesswork, Kimberly’s team relied on field medical colleagues to investigate digital behaviors firsthand. They didn’t just ask if stakeholders were on social, they asked what they used it for: reading? sharing? engaging? This qualitative feedback helped them segment user behaviors and tailor their approach accordingly. Research replaced assumptions, and in the process, they uncovered patterns that reshaped their entire rollout.
“We asked, ‘Oh, are you on social media? Oh, what channels are you on? Why do you go there for information? Do you go there to share information, or are you there to consume information?’ And all of that. And so that’s how we really validated that that was the right approach for us.”
- 15:46 – The BlueSky Expansion: From ‘Either/Or’ to ‘Yes, And’
BlueSky wasn’t part of their original strategy, it came from an insight from the community. As nephrology stakeholders began migrating off X to BlueSky, Kimberly’s team saw the shift happening and responded quickly. They didn’t overanalyze; they followed the signal. This adaptability meant they were one of the first credible organizations to establish a presence on the new platform.
“We didn’t find BlueSky. I have to be honest, BlueSky really found us. Some of the folks that were on X told us that a large percentage of folks in the nephrology space were moving… And so for us, it’s not an either/or, it’s a Yes/and.”
- 25:40 – Turning Compliance Into a Strategic Ally
Social initiatives often stall at the compliance stage, but it didn’t for Kimberly. Her team invited compliance, regulatory, and corporate communications to co-create the program from day one. They used industry benchmarking to set baselines, but didn’t stop there. They also tailored guardrails unique to their goals. Instead of selling a finished vision, they made it a shared journey.
“We didn’t try to bulldoze through the company into the space. We really looked at some benchmarking… and then brought our cross-functional partners into the discussion with us very early… so it felt like we were all on this journey together.”
- 30:25 – Governance Isn’t Optional. It’s Protection
Rather than overcomplicating the digital rollout, Kimberly’s team made governance practical and accessible. They built content approval flows, escalation protocols, and AE pathways with input from corporate communications, who’d already been operating in the space. Even though major incidents never occurred, the existence of the plan created peace of mind. Their takeaway is that the risk isn’t being online, it’s being unprepared.
“You do need to have a clear pathway of, one, monitoring your site, but also how you’re responding if you find yourself in that situation. And so we are very fortunate… we’ve always just been at the base case where we went to remind ourselves, ‘Okay, if this happens, what do we need to do?’”
- 36:26 – Measuring What Matters (Even When It’s Passive)
Early on, the metrics weren’t explosive, and that seemed okay. Kimberly made it clear that in digital engagement, value isn’t always loud. Much of their content was passively consumed by the right people at the right time. But over time, they began seeing visual abstracts and infographics resurface in real-world HCP discussions, which was a quiet sign of real impact.
“People, they see it, they read about it, it leaves a little bit of imprint, and that’s all without them clicking or doing anything with it. Once you produce some content… and you see that in use later… that is a sure sign that what you’re producing is both credible and useful.”
- 40:18 – Why You Can’t Afford to Wait
For those still hesitant to step into the digital space, Kimberly’s advice is direct: start now, start small, and build as you go. Waiting for perfect conditions only increases the risk of being invisible where it matters. The strategy doesn’t need to be fully formed to begin, it just needs a thoughtful, cross-functional approach. What matters most is presence, not perfection.
“It’s almost to the point where I feel like you can’t afford to not try to move into the space. Just do some research, pick a single platform, and dip your toe into the water with it and see how it goes.”
YouTube Chapters
- [00:00] Intro
- [03:55] Why Medical Affairs Can’t Ignore Social Media
- [06:54] Choosing X Over LinkedIn
- [11:35] Field Insights That Shaped the Strategy
- [15:46] Expanding to BlueSky: A Stakeholder-Driven Move
- [19:57] Social as Part of Omnichannel
- [25:40] Co-Creating with Compliance and Regulatory
- [30:25] Escalation Protocols and Governance Tools
- [36:26] Interpreting Metrics Beyond the Obvious
- [40:18] Building Buy-In and Moving Now
- [42:29] Final Thoughts