Founded in 1824, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has grown into one of the nation’s preeminent academic health science centers, with a nationally recognized clinical enterprise, MUSC Health, and six colleges that train thousands of healthcare professionals each year. As a leader in biomedical research, health education and clinical innovation, MUSC is dedicated to changing what’s possible in global, regional and local healthcare. MUSC Health, the clinical care delivery system, cares for over one million patients annually.
In the 1990s, this innovative spirit inspired the launch of MUSChealth.com. Among the first academic medical centers to reinvent their IT-driven university site, MUSC Health, established a unique Web experience intended to provide access to the richest healthcare content available at the time. Major highlights of national recognition and innovation milestones have included:
- In 1998, MUSChealth.com launched with a separate clinical enterprise governance and medical director. A subsequent marketing campaign was the first in SC to feature the healthcare Web site and drive consumers to the Web for health information.
- In 2001, MUSC Health was an early adopter of the shift to an eBusiness strategy. Interactive tools for eBusiness and clinical transactions were contained within a newly redesigned CMS, which supported brand consistency and standardized navigation.
- Rarely seen in 2004, MUSC’s Web team included a dedicated Web programmer whose focus was expansion of interactive tools coupled with site integration with business systems.
- Robust, interactive and integrated content led to the 2006 National Gold Award Recipient for Best Presentation of Clinical Content. Not typically seen features for the time included Clinical Trials Searchable Database, Health Encyclopedia, Drug Identifier, CarePages, RSS News Feeds, highly integrated content and ebusiness tools such as online bill pay, appt requests and registration.
- Integration of health risk assessment tools, text message health reminders and integrated wellness campaign led to the 2007 National Best in Class Winner for Prevention and Wellness Content.
- First in the country to launch an aggressive consumer-focused rich media platform containing podcast program that averaged 15,900 downloads monthly by external users around the globe and video library/YouTube channel containing hundreds of health information segments. These innovations earned the 2007 Best in Class – Innovator’s Award for Web 2.0 Rich Media.
- Enhancement of social media and intensified digital marketing resulted in the 2008 – Best in Class Innovator’s Award for Marketing Mix: Online Health Content, Rich Media, Social Media (Community Blog, FB, YouTube), Digital Marketing.
- A ten year history of marketing performance reporting served as the foundation for the 2009 – Innovator’s Award – Best Integrated Content for Results.
- By 2012, digital efforts were focused on attracting and engaging consumers and clinicians through interactive marketing as seen in our recognition for Best Integrated Marketing Campaign- Doctor’s Day.
- 2013 – Top 50 Hospitals for Social Media – YouTube channel ranked 14th in country among hospitals with almost one million views.
There is a single foundation for all of the work at MUSC – someone wanted to change the possibilities. MUSCHealth.com reflects this quest and this year celebrates 15 years of digital innovations with one singular purpose in mind – to create a great digital experience for its customers.
