Bern Hospitals Undergo Merger and Combine Regional Clinics into a Unified Multi-Site Portal

In 2015, the Insel Gruppe needed a new, consolidated web presence for their recent merger of the Bern hospitals and clinics. In order to unveil a consistent, uniform platform, they enlisted the help of internezzo AG, an agency with over 25 years of experience serving a wide range of organizations. internezzo is known for their designed custom solutions with a focus on usability which was a top priority for this project.

The scope of this project was grandiose and would require one portal solution, combining over 65 clinic websites, with over 340 editors requiring access to the backend. To service a project of this size, TYPO3 was the selected CMS due to its ability to handle complex multi-site requirements for the large number of editors. Additionally, the multi-lingual capabilities of TYPO3 enabled this portal to serve the necessary international audiences. Thanks to TYPO3's scalability, it was the natural choice for a project of this size, effortlessly meeting complex requirements that would have been nearly impossible to achieve with any other CMS. 

An agile project management approach was adopted for this project, enabling close collaboration and quick adaptability to changing conditions. For this consolidation, the desired outcome included a flat navigation structure with a focus on usability, a consistent UX/UI design across all clinics, an intranet for the entire Insel Gruppe and a setup and standardized structure implemented for all hospitals and clinics. 

The project began with the implementation of the “Extension OrgManager/Spitalmanager” which is used by internezzo as a framework for their customers in the healthcare industry. By combining multiple hospitals and clinics into a unified web presence, they anticipated high traffic which would require more than 60 TYPO3 globes (adaptations) to meet specific functionality requirements, all deployed across seven servers managed by internezzo. 

The portal operates and maintains a complex structure (portal solution, intranet, various web applications) with more than 400 forms with individual and customizable finishers. Since the launch in January 2016, internezzo conducts regular, automatic TYPO3 updates and centrally manages the domains and certificates for the entire portfolio, relieving the Insel Gruppe’s internal IT team of this task. Patient solutions have been recently implemented including a new patient online check-in based on a React app.

The results of the website consolidation and relaunch were resoundingly successful. Workflows were defined and access was granted to the large number of active backend editors. Over the course of a year, the partnership between the Insel Gruppe and internezzo proved to be collaborative and productive. Together, they were able to relaunch the corporate website while achieving optimal usability within a quick turnaround time. The consolidated platform went live in 2016 but the partnership has continued for nearly a decade. internezzo plans annual sprints with an emphasis on the backlog to implement features and optimizations with the project team to ensure the portal is running optimally. 

In their continued collaboration, internezzo supports the Insel Gruppe with their editorial and operational activities regarding their 60+ websites. internezzo continuously monitors and performs periodic reporting of various parameters and KPIs for all applications and websites, providing the Insel Gruppe with a thorough overview. They continue to offer their support in terms of SEO and analytics consulting. As of 2024, the entire portal solution continues to grow and reports approximately 1.6 million active users across all adaptations. 

Are you looking to tackle a complex project? TYPO3 is a scalable, reliable and fast CMS suited for projects of varying complexity, size and industry. 

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