June 29, 2001

As regular web surfers traversed the information super highway this week, they may have noticed a different rest stop along the way. With a new look, better navigation tools and easier access to information, the new and improved MGH web site was launched June 25.

Located both at www.mgh.harvard.edu and at www2.massgeneral.org, the MGH home page features a new design with 14 navigational "buttons." These buttons point visitors to such hospital resources as departments and programs, a visitor and patient guide, how to find a doctor, clinical and research trials, employment opportunities, internal resources and news and publications. Each button directs visitors to other MGH information sites that have been updated with the new design. The new look includes colorful photos of patients and staff, most of which were taken by the MGH Photography Lab.

The revised web site is the culmination of months of planning and testing by a multidisciplinary web committee, spearheaded by the MGH Marketing Department, with representation from many departments throughout the hospital. Working with Clapp Design, a local web design firm, the committee members gathered feedback from all hospital departments. The committee's goal was to create a new site that displays organized, easily accessible information through an enhanced design.

"This has been a collaborative effort every step of the way," says Anne Dubitzky, vice president of Managed Care Contracting and Marketing for the MGH and the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization (MGPO). "We are pleased with the results of our efforts to make the MGH web site an inviting gateway to health information on the internet. As more people use the web to find health care information, it is becoming increasingly important to make a good first impression."

The new site's debut this week represents the first phase of revisions and updates, which will continue into the fall and eventually will include web sites for each of the 140 departments throughout the hospital. Each department will have ownership of its own site and will be responsible for its content and maintenance. To keep a consistent look among the sites, every department will be asked to add a common navigation bar that includes the MGH logo with a link back to the home page.

According to Bernie Mendillo, internet communications manager for MGH/MGPO Marketing, departments can design their own sites or receive assistance from Marketing. "We can assign a project manager from our department to help with design, content and images at no charge to the requesting department," he says.

Laura Hynes, director of MGH/MGPO Marketing, adds, "We want the images and design of the various department sites to be consistent with the MGH home page, so that web visitors will be able to navigate throughout the entire MGH web site with ease."

For more information, call Mendillo at (617) 724-2854 or send e-mail to bmendillo@partners.org.