Teresa, I'm so glad that you set the ball in motion here to get the teleconference discussions started before Wednesday. I invite others to share their thoughts on my questions above, especially those of you who cannot make the call: @johnbishop, @vdouglas and @llwortman.

Kitchen Table Talk
I like Teresa's example of kitchen table talk (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/things-to-monitor-what-to-tell-your-doctor/).
@mentioning everyone in your group works well for small burgeoning groups. However as groups get larger, this may no longer tenable. But you can @mention a subset of members. Inviting multiple people to discussions gives everyone the confidence (even lurkers) to contribute. It recognizes that everyone has something valuable to add. This also eliminates any one person being the sole person responding to every post.

I call this kitchen table talk. I often use analogies of in-person situations when referring to online communities. A large group sitting around the dining room table or kitchen table offers a great visual. Around a table everyone jumps into the fray. You might start a one-on-one conversation with the person next to you. Then someone across the table joins in, making it a 3-way conversation. Naturally as more people join in, you also listen and jump in only where and when you have something to contribute. The onus is not on you to respond to each person after they have spoken. That would be weird at a kitchen table wouldn't it? I look forward to discussion the inherent risks in that behavior and how to encourage healthy kitchen table talk.

What is working well in your groups?