Content Management: Interwoven Powers Patient-Engaging Website For Breakthrough Cancer Treatment

For cancer patients, the gold standard of treatment is the ability to target and eradicate tumors, powerfully and decisively, while sparing damage to healthy tissues and organs. Proton Therapy, a revolutionary form of radiation treatment, does just that. Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC), the first hospital-based proton treatment center in the United States, has recently launched Protons.com, a truly cutting-edge Website designed to help patients understand and explore this treatment option promoting not only the hospital's advanced offerings, but bringing greater attention to proton therapy itself.

In launching Protons.com , LLUMC wanted to deliver the best possible Web experience and raise its visibility on the Internet to increase the number of new patients. Working with Earthbound Media Group (EMG), a leading interactive agency, and Interwoven, LLUMC utilized search engine optimization (SEO), Web analytics, and targeting to realize its vision of reaching as many patients as possible. EMG helped LLUMC build a new Web presence powered by Interwoven TeamSite, Interwoven OpenDeploy and other best-of-breed technologies. Interwoven TeamSite is enabling LLUMC business users to automate and manage their online content across different Web pages for more timely updates and better responsiveness to business needs. And the Interwoven OpenDeploy distribution engine has simplified the management and distribution of these changes throughout LLUMC's Web infrastructure.

Protons.com officially launched in August with rich interactive content including streaming video and a virtual tour to help patients educate themselves and increase their comfort level with the proton therapy process. The Proton Treatment Center is now at the top of many relevant search rankings, and traffic has increased dramatically. In its first three weeks alone, the site saw an increase in daily unique visitors of 1200%, a 20-fold increase in page views, and a 600% rise in traffic sources. As a result of this rapid success, LLUMC is transitioning much of its advertising budget from traditional media to the Web.

Said Tammy Veach, executive director of marketing at LLUMC, "With Interwoven, we've empowered our patients to take a proactive role in fighting cancer. They can educate themselves about their condition and its treatment, as well as understand what to expect at our facility. With the Protons.com site, our goal is to help ease anxieties they may have and prepare them to make the best possible use of our services. At the same time, by highlighting the expertise and resources we offer, we can draw attention to the outstanding work being done by our professionals."

In the next phase of the project, EMG will roll out LLUMC's 2,000-page main Website, a comprehensive resource offering virtual tours, syndicated health content, news, transactional tools, physician directories, and other features. The hospital also plans to roll out microsites similar to Protons.com for its other specialized institutes, using many of the same technologies, processes, and strategies.

"The new LLUMC site will dramatically change the expectations our patients have for treatment, whether they are dealing with aches and pains or life-threatening conditions. With Interwoven, we are able to quickly meet and exceed these expectations by updating information at a moment's notice," added Veach.

LLUMC's Web capabilities have come a long way in a short time. It was only two years ago that the hospital introduced its first Web content management system, a homegrown platform that relied on intensive IT support. Lacking direct control over Web content, the marketing team focused on different forms of communication, sacrificing the rich, interactive potential of the online channel. Said Brian Harris, vice president for strategy and alliances at EMG, "LLUMC's new Interwoven-powered Web platform represents a fundamental change for its business. LLUMC's Web presence will now play a central role in both its marketing programs and the customer experience it delivers, helping increase patient volume as well as patient comfort."

LLUMC is now using its upgraded Web infrastructure to leverage Web analytics, search engine optimization, search tools and other complementary technologies. The content structure and metadata capabilities within TeamSite help to optimize the site for major search engines. Business personnel use the system to refine site content and layout based on visitor data captured by Omniture SiteCatalyst and Google Analytics. Baynote recommendation technology provides behavioral targeting capabilities to increase the relevancy of search results.

"LLUMC's early success with their new Web presence illustrates the power of delivering targeted content to drive a more compelling and relevant online experience," said Ben Kiker, chief marketing officer at Interwoven. "Our Web content management solutions give business personnel the ability to continually enhance their Web presence based on behavioral data, and business and customer needs, in the face of fast-changing market conditions."

Said Veach, "We've only just begun to fulfill the vision for our new Web presence, and it has already had a transformative effect on our business and our patients. We're excited to continue moving forward with Interwoven on this vital project."

SOURCE: Loma Linda University Medical Center