Archer Group unifies, simplifies info site for Jefferson Hospitals’ consumers, media

October 13, 2009

As an academic medical center, the Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia are not only dedicated to restoring patients to good health, they’ve also developed an impressive collection of informational materials to show the communities they serve what they do and how to remain healthy.

Those materials came in a variety of forms — some video, some audio, some animation, some print — and they were scattered throughout Jefferson’s web site, making searching a challenge for web surfers wanting to learn more about their health needs.

Jefferson has now brought all the pieces together in a centralized location, the Jefferson Media Center, a single online source for interactive health content. To create the new site, Jefferson called on the Archer Group, internet marketing experts whose client base includes leaders in the banking, pharmaceutical, entertainment and retail industries.

The Media Center features four sections — one each for consumers, patients, healthcare providers and the news media — and each has its own index of videos, podcasts and text documents. The Archer Group arranged the Media Center site so all materials are accessible to anyone, making it easy for users to locate the information they want, in the format and level of detail they desire.

“Some like videos, some like print. Some want basic information, others want more depth. Some want to search for facts about a specific health condition, and we let them find it that way,” says Jennifer Smith, Jefferson’s director of consumer web development. “We let them search they way they want to search.”

In addition to the Media Center, the Archer Group helped Jefferson upgrade a blog, called Keep in Touch, which started as a monthly marketing newsletter, into a site updated practically every day with posts of the latest news about Jefferson. Almost everything posted at Keep in Touch is linked back to the Media Center, creating a seamless weave of interactive information.

The Archer Group set up the Media Center and Keep in Touch on an easy-to-use content management system which makes it possible for Jefferson’s team of writers and editors to update the pages without having to call on IT specialists, and without any special training.

“Today’s healthcare consumer wants easy access to information that’s essential to their good health,” says Archer Group CEO Lee Mikles. “We’ve worked with Jefferson to create a system that’s easy for consumers to use and just as easy for the Jefferson team to manage.”

About The Archer Group
The Archer Group, Delaware’s premier interactive marketing firm, offers end-to-end internet marketing solutions, from marketing strategy, Web site development, e-mail marketing, search engine marketing and more. Serving a diverse roster of clients in the retail, financial services, pharmaceutical and entertainment industries, the company has been recognized regionally and internationally for outstanding work, receiving 30 awards in the last three years alone. The company helps regional and national clients create more value from their internet and digital marketing efforts. It was named to the Inc. 5000 as one of the nation’s fastest-growing small businesses in 2008. For more information, visit http://www.archer-group.com

About Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals
Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, located in Philadelphia, offer major programs in a wide range of clinical specialties. As an academic medical center, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals believe in the importance of an excellent clinical setting for our patients and as a foundation for the learning experience of Jefferson students and residents.