A new year means new laws. With 2015 comes financial penalties for medical practices and hospitals who fail to have a regulation-compliant patient portal. To avoid these penalties and to better serve current and potential patients, Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists (SOS) hired ACS Web Design & SEO for a SOS site redesign.
The Project
ACS Web Design & SEO was able to launch the new SOS site in 2014, which was crucial for SOS to comply with federal patient portal regulations.
In addition to integrating a secure patient portal, ACS & SOS teamed up to create a new unified branding design, which allows for seamless transition from one SOS property to another.
The site’s design is also responsive, meaning that the site looks and works great on all devices, such as smartphones, tablets and computers. With 60% of all web traffic coming from mobile devices today, if your site lacks a responsive design, you’re ignoring the expectations of a sizable portion of your current and potential clients. Additionally, interacting with a site that isn’t designed to look good on a phone or tablet is tedious and inconvenient, which turns away would-be clients or customers.
Google announced that,starting April 21, a mobile-friendly design is a ranking factor for mobile search, meaning sites that aren’t mobile-friendly are more likely to be ranked lower on Google than sites that are mobile-friendly. A lower ranking on Google means less opportunity to acquire potential clients and customers.
In addition to front-facing features, the SOS site is built with a custom content management system (CMS), empowering SOS to update their site without any programming language know-how or technical skills required.
In addition to front-facing features, the SOS site is built with a custom content management system (CMS), empowering SOS to update their site without any programming language know-how or technical skills required.
Learn more about the new SOS site by viewing our portfolio entry.
Be Easy to Find
Prior to our development project, we performed an SEO site audit for SOS. This site audit assisted in identifying SOS’ SEO strengths and weaknesses, allowing us to improve upon deficiencies to improve ranking while reinforcing its existing strengths to prevent any drop in search engine positions.
Without a solid SEO strategy, your business loses potential visitors. In this ever-connected world, if people can’t easily find your business online, they’ll go somewhere more convenient and accessible. To stop losing opportunities, contact us.
Follow the Law
Part of the 2009 economic stimulus law requires medical practices and hospitals to have a patient portal on their website by 2015. A patient portal gives patients secure online access to parts of their medical record. Patient portals also include information and services that help patients better monitor their health.
Failing to have a patient portal in time results in the medical practice or hospital having their Medicaid or Medicare reimbursement funding lowered. Although it’s too late to avoid the 2015 penalties, with time, penalties increase. Not only do you need a patient portal, but your patient portal needs to be used by 5% of your patients.
Our team includes cyber security and usability experts with the skills needed to integrate a regulation-compliant patient portal for your medical website. Contact us to get your website on the right side of the law.
Put A Face to Your Business
People like to know who they’re working with. Personalizing your business with information about management and employees helps make potential customers or clients trust your organization. This is especially true in the medical industry–patients feel more comfortable when they feel they know their doctor. Knowing this, we created a custom company directory for SOS. The SOS company directory features staff pictures and complete biographies for each SOS doctor, as well as all SOS physician assistants, nurse practitioners and SOS’ pedorthist. In addition to personalizing their medical practice, the SOS company directory details their expert care providers’ qualifications, reassuring potential and current patients.
Contact us to put a face to your business.
Make Sure They Know Where To Go
The new SOS site includes interactive directions and maps for each SOS location. These maps and interactive directions can be accessed easily from any device, providing on-the-go directions.
To make it easy for people to visit your business, contact us.
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