Users Help Design New Thomasville Medical Center Web Site

CHARLOTTE, NC – December 2, 2003 – Thomasville Medical Center has launched a new web site, www.thomasvillemedicalcenter.org, designed with help from patients, their families, physicians and hospital staff to make sure the site is easy to navigate and includes content and features that are important to visitors.

Among the many user-friendly options are:

• Easy-to-navigate pages that describe in layman’s terms the wide variety of services available at Thomasville Medical Center, including prevention, early detection, diagnostic tests, treatments and rehabilitation programs.
• Online bill paying, mirroring the convenience many consumers now use on bank web sites.
• An extensive health library allowing visitors to research medical conditions and treatment options for adults and children. A portion of the library is available in both English and Spanish.
• A physician finder that provides options based on proximity to a person’s home or office.
• Locations of Thomasville Medical Center physician practices with links to MapQuest, where maps and directions can be generated.
• A redesigned employment page that makes it easy to find and apply for open positions.

Vialogix, the Charlotte-based web design firm that was chosen to create the Thomasville Medical Center site, is known for testing its designs with users to promote “real world” functionality. The company focuses on web-based solutions, like e-commerce, Web-enabled applications and comprehensive database solutions that enable clients to reduce business costs and increase their sales. In addition to Thomasville, Vialogix clients include Bank of America, Wachovia Corporation, Springs Industries, National Gypsum Co. and First Citizens Bank.

“Our goal was to create a web site that is easy to use, provides valuable information on a wide range of health topics and offers improved access to Thomasville Medical Center’s physicians and services,” said Jane Wilder, Director of Community Relations.

Besides interviewing likely users before the site was designed, videotaped test runs with these same audiences were conducted afterward to make sure information was easily accessible and understandable. As a result of these test runs, a number of changes were made to the site before it went “live.”

“We’re confident this level of testing has resulted in a site that is among the most user friendly anywhere, because the users had a hand in designing it,” Wilder said.

Future plans for the site include:

• An “online nursery” that allows out-of-town relatives and friends to view photos of babies born at Thomasville Medical Center.
• Virtual tours of facilities, giving the public a preview of locations where they may be receiving treatment.
• Online scheduling of hospital appointments and medical tests, as well as registration for health-related seminars and classes that are listed in an expanded calendar of events section.