Transforming Complexity into Access
Quality and Quantity
Albany Medical Center is one of the top healthcare providers in New York’s Capital Region and the only academic medical center in the area. In the past decade, they’ve experienced significant expansion, which quickly outpaced their old website. The need to separate the hospital and medical school sites, coupled with their acquisition of multiple hospital locations, necessitated a comprehensive overhaul.
Working collaboratively with our team, the client's primary goal was to create a user-friendly and efficient platform that could cater to the diverse needs of patients, students, and researchers. This included developing a robust search functionality using an Algolia integration, ensuring AI-powered doctor recommendations, and seamlessly organizing a vast amount of content.
Form and Function
The project involved addressing unique qualities such as managing extensive content, implementing an advanced find-a-doctor search feature, and considering the challenges of multi-site functionality. The collaboration between the Creative/UI/UX and Development teams was crucial to ensure that the design not only met aesthetic requirements but also accommodated the complex functional aspects, considering the distinct needs of healthcare and academic audiences.
Search and Rescue
One element of this build that was very important was having a robust search feature so users could easily search for the doctors and services they were looking for. On the back end, this means ensuring data from AMC’s internal system is pushed into the public website through the Algolia search so people can instantly search for it. This means as soon as a new doctor or provider is added to the system, they’ll start appearing in search results. The results can also be toggled by providers, locations, and more, and the results can be customized on the back end so doctors can appear on top of PAs or other providers, instead of appearing randomly or in an arbitrary order.
Consistency and Flexibility
The results of the project have been promising since the website’s launch in February 2023. Accessibility compliance was a top priority, with the site achieving 100% compliance through weekly monitoring using DubBot, a management and testing tool. The website’s enhanced SEO value has contributed to increased organic traffic, and users can now easily find the information they seek. While online booking is not yet implemented, the groundwork has been laid for future enhancements, and the site is well-prepared for ongoing maintenance and updates as Albany Medical Center continues to grow and integrate with additional hospitals.
This project showcased our team’s technical expertise and expanded our skillsets through the successful integration of WP Engine and Algolia, demonstrating our commitment to delivering tailored solutions that meet our clients’ evolving needs.
