Path Talk

Commentary by
David B. Roth, Irene Diamond Professor of Immunology and Chair of the Department of Pathology

The First Milestone for our Pathology Website
June 20, 2008

It's been six months now since the launch of our new website and I am thrilled to let you know that it has been a resounding success! We have managed to increase the number of our monthly visits more than five-fold and the site now sees a steady stream of regular returning visitors every day. It consistently attracts new visitors as well, the majority of whom are located in the United States, but with many, many others coming to our site via locations in the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, India, Germany, Spain, France, China and Japan. So far, we've even had one visitor each from Mongolia, Guam, and the Vatican (that's no bull!).   

Many of you have told me how much you appreciate the clean design and the intuitive layout. And I know at least some of you are actively checking to see when it's your turn to be our featured faculty member for the day... Indeed, the most popular sections of our website are the people pages and their advanced people search, followed by the sections on education (the graduate and residency programs, in particular), about our department, and on pathology research.

Interestingly, a wide range of users also find our patient care pages through the section on frequently asked questions. As people increasingly turn to the web as the first and foremost resource for information, it seems there is a need for reliable explanations of pathology procedures. By now few would gainsay the importance of a prominent digital presence and I think it's worth noting that our site can serve as an exemplary model, both for its internal benefits and its external service.
    
Our news and calendar functions have become very useful resources to communicate important issues and events across our large department. I have come to find that if there is something I need to know right away, chances are it's available on our site. I encourage you to integrate these features into your daily routine as well. I've also received a lot of thoughtful feedback on how to make our site even better and I truly appreciate your enthusiastic support and ideas. To celebrate our half-year anniversary, we have incorporated a few of your suggestions, including calendar archives, featured publications archives, and enhanced events listings. We will add interesting clinical cases by residents in the coming months and continue to showcase your high-profile research work.
 
Our website is a reflection of the superb qualities of our department and I think it is indicative of the spirit of collegiality and dedication that characterizes our enterprise. In all of this, we need your continuing support. When you have a moment, make sure that your personal profile and your selected publications are up to date and please let me or our website editor know of anything you would want to add to our site.