In 2011, as consumer demands across industry lines continue to rise, people will expect health products and services to do more than ever to help them reach and maintain their personal goals.

People will be looking for the most effective ways to incorporate good health practices into their daily routines. They will still be found at their neighborhood grocery store counting the calories in food items, but those kinds of practices will be supplemented by using smartphones, gaming systems, and other innovative mobile devices to get in better shape.

This is evident in the rise of interactive video games focusing on at-home exercising such as yoga, pilates, and weight-lifting. One of the newest devices on the market is the Xbox Kinect, which can read your body movements and act as your personal trainer when doing workouts at home.

A study conducted by Research2guidance, “Global Mobile Health Market Report 2010-2015” looked at the rate of mobile application adoption, coupled with how consumers/healthcare providers are embracing mobile devices, and have projected that 500 million people will be using mobile healthcare applications by 2015!

Healthcare providers can tap into this trend by giving consumers a way to easily incorporate new health practices into their lives. Cleveland Clinic, a regional healthcare provider, launched their own mobile app encouraging iPhone users to be active in their “Let’s Move It” campaign. This mobile application keeps track for how far each user walks and will also allow users to compete with one another in friendly competitions.

Looking ahead to 2011, we can plan to see more products offering convenient ways to exercise at home. We can also plan to see more consumers using their mobile devices to download healthy living apps similar to the one provided by Cleveland Clinic.  What is your healthcare facility doing to be a part of it?

A few years ago the headline was “A Gift,” last year a major merger with MeritCare in Fargo. Today, Sanford Health is taking another leap forward, emerging as a new organization under one name, a new symbol and refreshed mission, vision and values.

We at Lawrence and Schiller have worked with Sanford Health to develop the “Today’s Pioneers” campaign including TV and radio ads and a series of internal videos.

While many may regard the plains as the last place to transform healthcare, Sanford Health believes that this is actually the perfect place.  After all, the people of the plains have a long history of seeing possibilities where others see none, working hard to get things done and helping our neighbors.

With their vision to influence health and healing across the globe and provide innovative patient care here at home, the people at Sanford Health are truly “Today’s Pioneers.”

Going to the hospital can be scary business if you’re a kid. Ok… let’s be honest… it can be unnerving for parents too.

Often the fear is based on the unknown. What is it like in the hospital? What will the room look like? What can I bring and what has to stay home?

Providing answers in a kid-friendly way is the goal of the Kid Zone. The Kid Zone is a colorful, animated and interactive micro-site developed by Sanford Health. It includes a guided tour of the Sanford Children’s Hospital, links to health information and now, an online coloring book.

In this episode of The Extra Minute, Natalie Eisenberg, account executive at Lawrence & Schiler, explains why the Kid Zone has been created and why Sanford believes it’s an important service to provide.

As the number of cell phones capable of surfing the Internet grows, so does the need to deliver content that is optimized for mobile devices.

What does it take to develop a site that plays nice with mobile web? What should it include and what are some of the obstacles you make encounter along the way?

The Extra Minute has the story of Sanford Health and its move into mobile web.