When fragmentation gets in the way of patient access
Rochester Regional Health (RRH) is committed to innovation, patient-centered care, and measurable outcomes. But its fragmented digital ecosystem had 24 separate websites, making it difficult for patients, caregivers, and community members to access healthcare services efficiently. In addition, the healthcare system’s mix of legacy systems, individual hospital and clinic microsites, specialty service pages, and region-specific portals, were each managed independently. The result was inconsistent branding, duplicated content, and siloed patient experiences.
When the company had an opportunity to modernize its legacy Sitecore PaaS implementation, they prioritized speed, personalization, and accessibility. RRH wanted to create a scalable solution that could unify the health system’s digital presence, simplify appointment scheduling, and provide a cohesive brand experience across multiple user types and patient journeys.
We needed a fully integrated digital experience that enables people to interact with RRH at any stage of their healthcare journey whether they are new or existing patients, family members, employees, or community members.
A scalable digital front door for every patient journey
To consolidate and streamline its fragmented digital experience, RRH adopted a comprehensive strategy focused on user-centered design, operational efficiency, and accessibility. The team began by conducting extensive user research, including heatmaps, analytics, and direct feedback, to understand how patients and caregivers interact with their digital platforms.
Those learnings informed a complete redesign of the digital experience. Looking to prioritize intuitive navigation, simplified appointment booking, and real-time access to care options, RRH worked with Sitecore implementation partner Perficient and Sitecore360 services to reimagine the healthcare system’s digital experience.
With its deep Sitecore expertise, Perficient guided the healthcare system’s migration to Sitecore’s CMS, consolidating 24 legacy websites into a unified, user-friendly platform. Perficient designed an authoring workflow tailored to RRH’s small marketing team, integrated real-time data from EPIC and proprietary APIs, and implemented advanced personalization and search capabilities using Sitecore and Coveo. The integration with EPIC was critical to enable real-time appointment availability and online booking.
“We utilized the Sitecore CMS custom engine rules along with personalization capabilities to ensure that content is personalized to meet our different users’ needs along the patient journey,” said Pierce.
RRH’s strategy also emphasized inclusivity, ensuring compliance with accessibility standards and optimizing the site for mobile use and search engine visibility.
The solution streamlined RRH’s content management processes to reduce IT dependency and empower internal teams to update and publish content more efficiently. It also unifies provider and location data into a centralized search experience, making it easier for users to find care based on personal needs. The addition of real-time wait-times and enhanced scheduling tools, along with improved access to the System’s MyCare patient portal supports a seamless healthcare journey.
Results that matter across the patient care journey
RRH’s digital transformation quickly delivered meaningful improvements in patient engagement, operational efficiency, and care accessibility. What was once 24 fragmented digital experiences is now a single, intuitive platform, and a personalized digital front door that delivers measurable results and positions the organization for continued innovation and growth.
Patients quickly adopted the more intuitive digital front door, choosing to engage online for tasks that were previously handled through calls or in-person interactions. This shift reduced friction at key moments in the patient journey, making it easier to access care, manage appointments, and stay connected, while also easing demand on contact center and scheduling teams.
As operational pressure decreased, RRH was able to realize ongoing efficiency gains and cost savings, creating capacity for staff to focus on higher-value patient support. These business improvements were reinforced by a faster, more discoverable platform that made information easier to find and experiences easier to complete, strengthening accessibility, satisfaction, and reach across RRH’s digital ecosystem.
“This transformation isn’t just about technology. It’s about delivering a digital experience that reflects the quality of care we provide. Rochester Regional Health’s strategic partnership with Sitecore and Perficient empowered us to deliver faster, more relevant and accessible digital experiences that align with the company’s operational goals and patient needs,” concludes Pierce.
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