September 29, 2017
3 min read

STS News, Fall 2017 -- STS members now have a more intuitive, modern website for accessing Society resources and maximizing their membership benefits. A redesigned website debuted in September.

The new www.sts.org was a collaborative effort that included input from all STS departments and focused on one main goal: Keeping the end user in mind.

Along with improved navigation, an updated color palette, and more prominent photos, the site is now mobile responsive, so that no matter what device is being used, the experience will be seamless.

On the homepage, users will find quick access to the latest educational offerings, videos, news releases, and Society tweets. A prominent navigation bar directly below the redesigned STS logo groups related information in tabs by category:

  • Learning Center offers STS Annual Meeting Online, webinars, and information on claiming CME credit.
  • Meetings groups registration and program information for the STS Annual Meeting, standalone educational courses, and educational collaborations.
  • Quality & Safety provides access to the Society’s performance measures (including National Quality Forum-endorsed measures), patient safety materials, and surgical checklists.
  • Registries & Research Center includes information and resources related to the STS National Database, STS Research Center programs, and the STS/ACC TVT Registry.
  • Advocacy facilitates direct contact with legislators through the Legislative Action Center and contributions to STS-PAC; it also has a sign-up form that will enable you to become an STS Key Contact.
  • Publications offers access to STS News, STS National Database News, and other Society newsletters.
  • Resources provides a wealth of tools for managing a cardiothoracic surgical practice, including quick access to coding and reimbursement tips, STS risk calculators, clinical practice guidelines, and an archive of practice management columns.
  • Foundation links to the Society’s charitable arm, The Thoracic Surgery Foundation, where the user can make an online donation or apply for one of the many scholarships and fellowships available.

No matter what device is being used, the experience will be seamless.

Above the main navigation bar, a Membership link at the top of the homepage allows STS members to easily renew their membership, update their contact information, or search for colleagues in the membership directory. Potential members can learn about the different membership types and fill out an online application.

Media houses the latest news releases related to the Society, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and STS meeting abstracts, as well as a toolkit to help National Database participants publicize their STS Public Reporting star ratings and composite results.

The Patients link offers resources for cardiothoracic surgery patients, including access to the Society’s patient information website, ctsurgerypatients.org.

In August, the Society unveiled a special microsite, publicreporting.sts.org, that houses STS Public Reporting Online results for all three STS National Database components. On this microsite, users have a number of search and filter options, including hospital/participant name, year, state, and star ratings. Clicking on a particular institution’s name provides an in-depth look at the statistics. The microsite also includes explanations of star ratings and public reporting consent forms. 

Give Us Your Feedback

To help ensure that the new website fulfills your needs, please provide your feedback at Marketing.

New Blog Posts on STS Patient Website
The Society’s patient website, ctsurgerypatients.org, features several blog posts written by cardiothoracic surgeons for patients. Recent posts include “What Is Recovery from Heart Surgery Really Like? A Patient’s Experience” by Paul K. Minifee, MD, “Complications After Cardiothoracic Surgery: What Went Wrong?” by Robbin G. Cohen, MD, MMM, and “The Most Important Lesson I Learned From a Patient: Optimism Leads to Achievement” by Brendon M. Stiles, MD. Like most other pages on the patient website, these blog posts are available in English and Spanish. Please share this valuable resource with your patients. If you have questions or would like to contribute to the site, contact Jennifer Bagley, Media Relations Manager, at Jennifer Bagley for more details.