Transforming a dated and limited website: From vendor evaluation to site launch

Leading Non-Profit Healthcare Organization

Tell me about the client

Our client is a healthcare organization consisting of three hospitals providing a variety of primary and specialty physician services. NorthStar is providing B2B professional services to our client’s Marketing organization to lead and manage their website redesign initiative through various project phases. They were looking to replace their existing websites with a fresh, modern, unified web experience that highlights their unique brand, improves the user experience and delivers measurable results in terms of expanded opportunities to recruit patients, physicians and partners through improved content and online services.

How did NorthStar approach the challenge?

Phase 1: Evaluation

1. Captured all of the business drivers from the physician, marketing, and information technology perspectives and ensure alignment amongst all project stakeholders. We knew this would be the key to ensure a clear understanding of the priorities that would guide the discovery and vendor selection process as well as forecast the project initiation timeline for the successful redesign.

2. Led the effort in determining the evaluation criteria for vendors, building scoring models, assessing functional requirements, and conducting technical analysis of a variety of content management and provider management platforms.

3. Produced a comprehensive analysis of alternatives looking at key metrics to help inform our client of the most technologically sound and affordable options.

Phase 2: Implementation

1. Guided the implementation of a fresh, modern, unified website that improved the user experience and delivered measurable results in terms of expanded opportunities to recruit patients, physicians and partners through improved content and online services.

2. Led the implementation effort for our client to successfully deploy a consumer-facing provider search and online scheduling toll for both in-person appointments and virtual visits.

3. Led the implementation of the provider search and match capability for our client's Access Center, empowering agents with intuitive provider search and match as well as access to provider group data in one centralized system.

Tell me about the goals & milestones that were achieved

Phase 1: Evaluation

• Leveraged NorthStar’s rigorous analysis and chose to proceed with NorthStar’s recommended vendors to execute the website redesign.

• NorthStar guided our client through the procurement process building design documentation and process/data flows in order to enable a smooth transition to project initiation.

• With the help of contracted talent for both content management system and provider management system vendors, we initiated the website redesign project.

Phase 2: Implementation

• Important goal achieved: over 50% of the bookings made on the website are now from new patients.

• Access center provides faster responses to patients seeking care with the use of more centralized provider management system.

• The newly deployed website and provider management platform are key contributors to increased patient acquisition and retention.

• New website design had significant analytics improvements giving visibility to consumer search behavior, care selection, and appointment bookings.

What happens now?

NorthStar continues to lead and manage on-going support for the website as well as vendor coordination, integration management, operational strategic planning, risk mitigation, and change management oversight.