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MUSCHealth implements new content management system by Michael Baker Public Relations Anyone anticipating the arrival of the new MUSCHealth Web site won’t have to wait much longer. David Bennett, web resource services manager in the Department of Business Development and Marketing Services, said that a new site with a new look should be available to the public within a month or two. The swift progression of the site was facilitated by the focused effort of Bennett’s team, including Kim Haynes and Kathleen Synder, as well as by the content management system that Bennett and his team began implementing when he arrived at MUSC last year. The use of content management systems increased dramatically in recent years, becoming widespread among many of the top medical universities and hospitals throughout the United States. The MUSC system applies a distributive authorship model to the new site, meaning that any MUSC employee can add new information to his or her department’s Web page without the help of a webmaster. “Because employees can update information themselves,” Bennett explained, “the site will contain more timely information. Our main goal was to standardize things so that everyone could use the system.” For example, Bennett and his team have been working with Mary Mauldin, Ed.D., to move the GME Resident Handbook within the content management system. Bennett hopes the move will simplify the process of updating the handbook. Bennett also mentioned other applications for the new system, including a small pilot project with the Medical Director’s Office and Hospital Bed Management. The collaboration plans to develop Web pages for bed management that can be easily updated throughout the day. In this way, hospital staff can check online for a snapshot of the hospital census, as well as for an update of hospital policies concerning admissions. Keeping with the theme of standardization, Bennett explained how the new Web site adheres to a much more uniform visual style, without sacrificing originality. “We looked at the best medical sites on the Internet,” he said. “As a result of our research, the new MUSC site represents a hybrid of the most impressive sites out there.” Bennett noted that, in the past, each department’s Web page differed greatly in appearance and functionality. The differentiation sometimes led to confusion and frustration when navigating from page to page. To remedy the disjointed feel, Bennett and his colleagues created a roadmap and a series of templates for the hospital and clinical departments. “We wanted to create the look and feel of a unified institution and to improve site navigation and ease of use,” he said. “All of the pages have a similar setup, and each section is color coded, so you know when you’ve skipped from one part of the site to another.” The distinctive touches serve to ease the confusion of virtually exploring an organization of MUSC’s size. In the end, MUSCHealth.com will contain more than 20,000 pages of health information personally added by health care professionals. Despite the new thematic appearance, Bennett asserted that the site doesn’t have a paint-by-numbers feel. Each section has a uniquely designed introductory page with a section-specific flash banner at the top. The design lends each section a unique feel that contrasts with the calculated standardization of the in-depth content. While the design and development processes are interesting, the real gems of MUSCHealth.com are its new features. Construction and expansion remain paramount among the hot topics at MUSC. Bennett and his team work with Chris Malanuk, director of strategic planning, to communicate information on the replacement hospital project.  On the new Web site, a section entitled “The Future of MUSC” plans to detail the entire process. “Eventually, people will be able to see real-time footage of the construction through construction Webcams,” Bennett said. “We also will add floor plans and architectural layouts to give people a better idea of what’s to come.” He expects that contractors and architects also will experience the benefits of the content management system. While the system allows physicians to post new medical information at their leisure, it also will allow contractors and architects to update the “Future of MUSC” section with new and real-time information throughout the course of the construction. Another feature of the new site resulted from a collaboration with NEXcura, a company that provides treatment option tools for such organizations as the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. Now patients at MUSC can learn more about the various types of treatments available to them for various illnesses. Bennett explained that patients who visit the site can enter specific information about their illnesses, register for e-mail updates on breaking treatment-related news, and even print out a list of important, condition-specific questions to ask a physician during a check-up. On a separate venture, Bennett and his colleagues also worked with director of MUSC's Libraries and Learning Resource Center's Thomas Basler, Ph.D., to promote the many assets available through the library.  “We’re trying to support our referring physicians while improving access to health care information by physicians throughout the state,” Bennett said. “Partnerships like this haven’t been commonplace here at MUSC,” he added. “It’s a great example of intra-organizational cooperation—the university working with the hospital authority on a marketing endeavor.” The success of the parties’ cooperative efforts spurred Bennett’s enthusiasm for further collaboration.  “I think you’ll see more collaborative efforts like this in the future,” he said. A final feature of the new Web site involves a video library index of MUSC Health Connection stories. The site plans to archive local and national news segments in which MUSC has appeared. Currently, it hosts more than 60 Health Connection episodes that MUSC produces with Channel 5 (WCSC). “Before, you’d have MUSC on television for a two-minute segment, and then it’s done,” Bennett said. “Now, those clips are online forever.” The new site will be internally tested before Bennett releases it to the public domain, and changes continue to be made. Many of the changes came as a result of staff feedback, which Bennett said is crucial to the success of the project. “It’s all online. It’s all searchable,” he said. “What we’re developing is an informative, usable resource for everyone, inside and out—from MUSC employees to the general public.”  To see the developmental version of the new MUSCHealth Web site, visit http://ww2.muschealth.com.  For information on the content management system, contact Dave Bennett at 792-9996.        Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.