01.08 - Sensis selected to redesign L.A. Care Health Plan Web site

Interactive agency brings multicultural experience to the nation’s largest public health plan LOS ANGELES – Multicultural interactive agency Sensis has been selected by L.A. Care Health Plan to redesign the health plan’s Web site (www.lacare.org), integrate an enterprise content management system into the Web site and develop an online communications strategy that builds on L.A. Care’s commitment to providing accurate, accessible and valuable information to its members, prospective members and the provider community. The new site will launch in both English and Spanish in March 2008. “Los Angeles County is the perfect example of a major consumer market where Hispanic, African-American, Asian-American and other minority populations combined outnumber the general market. We previously referred to these groups as minorities, but in Los Angeles, this is no longer the case,” Sensis CEO Jose Villa said. “The minority has become the majority, and companies, including L.A. Care, want to specifically reach these diverse groups through online tactics. That is where Sensis comes in. We will combine our extensive experience in interactive advertising and technology with our understanding of the cultural nuances of Los Angeles County’s numerous demographic groups to help L.A. Care build on its personal and impacting relationships with these sectors.” L.A. Care’s Web site helps its members, their family members, health care providers and other caregivers easily access information about health care services available. To guarantee access for all current and potential members, in addition to its multilingual approach, the new site will also comply with Section 508 standards, a set of guidelines enacted by Congress that allow all citizens to obtain and use information easily through information technology. The standards, similar to the American with Disabilities Act, help ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities. Sensis is well versed and committed to implementing Web accessibility best practices, like Section 508, having developed similar solutions for Web projects with the Harbor UCLA Research and Education Institute and the Los Angeles County Office of Small Business. In addition to designing and developing L.A. Care’s new site, Sensis will also add search engine optimization (SEO) to the health plan’s multicultural advertising repertoire. At 7 million, or 71 percent of Los Angeles County’s total population in 2006, the county’s multicultural community remains larger than the total population of 38 states with the largest number of Hispanics and Asians in the country. SEO efforts targeting relevant English and Spanish keywords will help generate organic traffic to the Web site, giving L.A. Care’s nearly 800,000 members and potential new members easy access to relevant health plan information. “L.A. Care is dedicated to helping low-income Los Angeles County residents obtain health care coverage. Our Web site is a key point of contact with our members and providers and a vital information source,” said Andrea Van Hook, L.A. Care director of communications and marketing. “We want the site to easily be navigated and enjoyable to visit. Sensis’ strong technology background combined with its experience in multilingual Web site design makes them an excellent partner in our goal to enrich our site.”