IAHCSMM Website Gets Facelift, Name Change

By Julie E. Williamson

To better meet the needs of its Internet-savvy members, the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management has unveiled a new-and-improved website design, along with a slightly modified Web address.

Sterile processing professionals will be saying goodbye to the longstanding domain name www.iahcsmm.com and instead logging on to www.iahcsmm.org —an extension that is more accurately suited to the Association. According to Stan Burkat, IAHCSMM’s Webmaster, the Association purchased the rights to the domain name a couple of years ago, but opted to wait to unveil the name switch until the site redesign was complete. Users who log onto the .com address will be automatically redirected to the new site; however, IAHCSMM’s identity and all email addresses will officially bear the .org extension.

Once logged onto IAHCSMM’s homepage, users will immediately spot some big changes to its layout and format. Aside from a fully restructured and user-friendly navigation system, the redesigned site is image-rich and more aesthetically pleasing. It also features some valuable new tools, including a revamped Discussion Forum and a password-protected section dedicated entirely to IAHCSMM instructors. The redesigned website includes many of the same features that users appreciated with the original site, such as the Member Services, Education, Publication and Events sections, and the Downloads feature that allows easy access to certification applications, continuing education forms and new member applications. The latest Association and industry news will also be prominently featured on the homepage, providing an at-a-glance look at the very latest developments impacting the profession.

“We believed it was time to give the IAHCSMM website a fresh new look,” said IAHCSMM President-elect Don Gordon. “This site is visually appealing and complemented by images and a user-friendly format that places industry news items, press releases, discussion boards and various other tools right at the user’s fingertips.”

Ongoing improvements

The website redesign comes on the heels of a series of other positive changes to the site in recent months. Last year, IAHCSMM expanded the site’s Discussion Forum feature, which provides ongoing discussion threads on various issues pertaining to the profession. The Discussion Forum has become one of the website’s most well received tools, drawing participation from sterile processing professionals worldwide.

Another valuable feature added to the site was the List-builder, which sends automatic emails to subscribers notifying them of website updates. The 2003 Fall Meeting also marked a first for the website in that photo-reports were updated daily in real-time, providing those who were unable to attend the conference a snapshot of key events and activities.

An IAHCSMM survey conducted prior to the full site redesign showed that the website changes were appreciated by the overwhelming majority of users. Some 94% of respondents noted that they consider IAHCSMM’s website to be both useful and informative. The Association is confidant that the latest changes will garner even more positive responses.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the redesign. We believe it has much more to offer and we believe users will feel the same,” said Gordon. “IAHCSMM understands that member needs are not static and that ongoing improvements to all educational tools – online or otherwise – are necessary to meet the evolving needs of CSMM professionals. The redesigned website and name change are just two examples of IAHCSMM’s ongoing commitment to its members and the profession at large.”