CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits launched a series of health, wellness, and benefits podcasts on iTunes and on its company Web site.

CIEB provides healthcare benefits to expatriates around the world. The new series of podcasts, also available on the company Web site, is designed to help ease the transition to expatriate life, and prepare expatriates for accessing healthcare in other countries. The podcasts contain practical information on getting ready for overseas assignments.

iTunes users can access the podcasts by searching "CIEB" in the iTunes Store, or following this iTunes Store link. The podcasts run two to four minutes in length, and include subjects such as, "First Steps To Take Upon Arrival to Your Expatriate Assignment," "Travel Risks," "Options and Resources Available During A Crisis," and "How to Prepare for Your International Assignment."

CIGNA joins other healthcare providers using podcasts and other social media to reach out to the communities they serve. Organizations such as the University of California San Francisco Medical Center and the Mayo Clinic are using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to connect with medical students and the communities those organizations serve.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is also using Twitter, YouTube, and even games to spread information about the H1N1 virus, or swine flu. And Second Life has a following among healthcare providers, as Chicago Children's Hospital is using Second Life for disaster preparedness, while disabled people turn to the virtual world for peer support.

And a startup called Mental Health Social recently launched a new social network designed to let people with mental health conditions, or those interested in those conditions, connect in a comfortable online environment.