CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Jul 11, 2011) - NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore), a comprehensive, fully integrated, healthcare delivery system serving the greater North Shore and northern Illinois communities, selected EPiServer, the world's fastest growing provider of platforms that drive online engagement, to provide a web content management solution to elevate the health system's online presence.
Through this partnership, NorthShore aims to increase engagement with its local patient communities by granting online visitors access to specialized medical information through the organization's website, mobile channel and the various social tools patients use to connect with the health network.
"The medical information on our site is very specialized, and EPiServer's content management structure and easy-to-use editor interface allow us to put online content-production in the hands of the physicians, nurses and clinical specialists who are the true experts," Teddy Fishbein, NorthShore's Interactive Marketing Manager, said. "EPiServer's platform allows doctors and staff to engage more easily with website visitors to build patient trust and brand loyalty.
With the move to EPiServer, NorthShore launched two new site features. The first is a custom-built community section with forums and blogs for registered patients to communicate and share their experiences. The second is a revamp of NorthShore's clinical service and conditions pages throughout the site to make the patient experience more interactive and intuitive. Both features will facilitate greater education and relationship-building between NorthShore's patients and physicians.
Though deploying technology in a large healthcare organization presents unique challenges, NorthShore worked with its EHR vendor when integrating the comprehensive content management solution to ensure it did not pose a threat to patient data security and that patients would have a consistent view of the NorthShore brand regardless of the medium they use to view its properties.
"Today's patients access health information through various forms of media including smart phones, social networking tools and other online resources. EPiServer's multi-channel capabilities ensure that the NorthShore brand is reflected consistently across all media," Patrick Emmons, Director of Professional Services and co-founder of Adage Technologies, said. "And with EPiServer's content review option, when specialists update website sections, they can feel more confident about hitting the publish button."
NorthShore currently has 145,000 patients using its Patient Portal to schedule appointments, pay bills and renew prescriptions. Approximately 5,000 appointments are booked using the portal monthly. NorthShore selected Episerver CMS 6 because of the scalability of the technology and its ease of deployment. Additionally, EPiServer's search capabilities allow patients to filter online content to easily access the information and resources that are of greatest value to them.
"NorthShore is leading the way in the healthcare segment by making important investments in social media and multiple channels," Bob Egner, EPiServer's Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Development, said. "In this case, the healthcare market is modeling itself after the consumer and retail environments. We're excited to provide the tools that allow leading organizations to manage visitor interaction across multiple channels from a single platform in the easiest way possible for their patients, doctors and staff."
The EPiServer platform, combining content, commerce, communication and community is available now. For more, visit http://www.episerver.com/, or search "episerver" on Google.
About EPiServer
EPiServer, the leading supplier of solutions that enable true Web engagement and drive business results for end customers. 3,500 customers worldwide use EPiServer's technology platform that combines content, community, commerce, and communications with a configurable metrics dashboard. EPiServer CMS is the foundation for more than 10,000 websites and is used by more than 130,000 web editors daily. The EPiServer platform is delivered through an extensive network of over 500 partner companies in 30 countries. EPiServer combines the stability and support of a commercial product with EPiServer World, a thriving developer community of more than 12,000 developers. EPiServer is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with an AAA-ranking by Dun & Bradstreet since 2000. The company was founded in 1994 and has offices in the United States, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, The Netherlands, South Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom. EPiServer is controlled by the IK2007 Fund. IK Investment Partners is a European private equity firm with Nordic roots, managing EUR 5.7 billion in fund commitments.
About NorthShore University HealthSystem
Headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) is a comprehensive, fully integrated, healthcare delivery system that serves the Chicago region. The system includes four hospitals in Evanston, Glenview, Highland Park and Skokie. NorthShore employs approximately 9,000 and has 2,400 affiliated physicians, including a 650+ physician, multispecialty group practice with over 75 office locations. Further, NorthShore supports teaching and research as the principal teaching affiliate for the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
The NorthShore Research Institute focuses on clinical and translational research, including leadership in outcomes research and clinical trials. The NorthShore University HealthSystem Foundation is a leading philanthropic entity of NorthShore. It raises charitable contributions, engages volunteer friends and invests in community partnerships.
NorthShore has significant capabilities in a wide spectrum of clinical programs, including cancer, heart, orthopaedics, high-risk maternity, pediatrics and neurosciences. NorthShore is a Magnet recognized organization, the only one in Illinois designated as a system to receive this prestigious honor that demonstrates excellence in nursing and high standards in patient care.
NorthShore is a national leader in the implementation of innovative technologies, including electronic medical records (EMR). In 2003, NorthShore was among the first in the country to successfully launch a system-wide EMR with demonstrable benefits in quality, safety, efficiency and service to patients. NorthShore has been recognized by multiple national organizations for this notable achievement.
About Adage Technologies
Adage Technologies was formed in 2001 with a specific focus on driving business value through web technology. Today, Adage offers a wide variety of business technology solutions, including custom software, content management, and mobile applications. The company specializes in providing solutions for across a variety of industries, including healthcare/medical, entertainment, and insurance. To learn more, visit www.adagetechnologies.com.