Wednesday, July 30, 2003

Southern Regional spins a new Web

Health system debuts new Internet site

After months of research, Southern Regional Health System's Information Technology team has completed the update process for the hospital's informational Web site at www.southernregional.org.

"When we decided to re-vamp the site, we looked at things that patients and employees were commonly looking for, like physician referrals or what patients should know and do before having a certain surgery," said eHealth strategist Patrick Turbiville. "Instead of calling different hospital departments with their questions, people can now find a lot of their answers online in a few seconds."

In addition to the informative contents, the site is extremely easy to use. "This will be easier for our patients and community members to use," said eHealth analyst Cyndi Forbes. "In the IT department, we don't come into contact with patients on a regular basis. But, we have found that most of the things they want on the Web are the exact same things our colleagues are looking for. Every fact, every detail is now literally there at the click of the mouse."

The site provides a listing of phone numbers for each department, postings of employment opportunities, maps and a fact sheet on Southern Regional.

The home page features photos of Southern Regional's Legends and Nurses of the Year. (Legends and Nurses of the Year are SRHS employees who have demonstrated exemplary service and compassion to patients as well as their fellow employees.) A Quick Finder section highlights several options, including:

A Women's Life Center virtual tour, complete with 360 degree image viewing technology.

The Web Nursery, with photos of newborn babies.

Maternity pre-admission applications.

A physician search guide, which offers brief facts on each doctor.

How to participate in clinical trials.

Patient instructions and frequently asked questions on all procedures performed.

A scrolling news section offers the latest news about the health system, while the Health Information board has news and advice on illnesses and conditions and offers tips on daily healthy living. Also, Web site visitors can learn about upcoming classes and events as well as various community support groups.

Southern Regional Health System offers comprehensive health resources, including: Southern Regional Medical Center, a 406-bed, full-service hospital in Riverdale, featuring a state-of-the-art outpatient surgery center; The Women's Life Center; a Diabetes Resource Center and one of the busiest emergency departments in the state. Southern Regional also provides mental health, home health care, substance abuse treatment and surgery efforts through RiverWoods, Southern Regional Psychiatric Center; Southern Regional Homecare; and the Surgery Center at Mount Zion, located in Morrow.