Aetna Student Health Digital Transformation

Led the full redesign and rebuild of Student Health digital platforms, serving as Digital Product Lead.

Role: Staff Digital Product Manager
Scope: New websites, new client portals and new platforms

Teams: Product, Marketing, IT, Legal & Compliance

| The Challenge

Aetna Student Health faced significant challenges with its legacy digital infrastructure that impacted both student experience and operational efficiency. The existing website and portal systems were fragmented, outdated, and unable to meet the evolving needs of a digitally-native student population. Students struggled with:

• Disconnected User Experience: Multiple systems required separate logins, creating friction in accessing health information and benefits

• Limited Self-Service Capabilities: Students couldn't easily find plan information, submit claims, or access important health resources independently

• Poor Mobile Experience: Legacy systems were not optimized for mobile devices, the primary access point for college students

• Scalability Issues: The existing infrastructure couldn't support growing enrollment and increasing digital demands

• Inconsistent Branding: Disparate platforms created a fragmented brand experience across touchpoints

Additionally, the technical team faced constraints with maintaining and updating multiple legacy systems, limiting their ability to innovate and respond quickly to changing student and institutional needs.

| The Approach

Collaborated closely with engineering, design, compliance, and marketing teams to ensure the digital experience was both innovative and regulatory-compliant. Implemented iterative development cycles to rapidly test and refine features based on customer feedback and usage data. 

| The Solution

To address these challenges, Aetna Student Health undertook a comprehensive digital transformation, selecting Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) as the enterprise platform to rebuild both the public-facing website and student portals from the ground up.