Now That Everything Has Changed, What Should You Expect from Healthcare Managed IT Services?

In 2007, I onboarded my first healthcare managed services client for a professional services company that focused on break-fix and IT projects. The concept of managed services was a revolution at the time. Rather than wait for something to break, you could contract with us to prevent IT from breaking. As a result, your organization became more productive, dealt with less downtime, and could be better at what you did. Back then, managed services included break-fix support, along with maintenance and security support for PCs, printers, network devices, and servers.

Skipping ahead 15 years, managed services are still with us but the changes in what is delivered today are profound.

Today, the mission is still the same: make your organization more successful by minimizing downtime and increasing productivity. But the complexity and demands of IT in the healthcare industry today are radically different. Changes include the movement of everything to the cloud, the rise of cyber-pirates, the pandemic-driven remote workforce, and the move to digital transformation driven by the pandemic, consumer expectations, and evolving regulatory requirements. Any one of these is daunting. Taken together, it’s no wonder IT staffs are feeling overwhelmed and looking for relief. That is driving many healthcare companies to take look at managed IT services. So, what should you expect from a healthcare-focused managed services provider (MSP)?

It’s no wonder IT staffs are feeling overwhelmed and looking for relief. That is driving many healthcare companies to take look at managed IT services.

Everything in the cloud

The move to the cloud has been steadily maturing and today you can run all your applications, servers, and desktops in the cloud. In the last two years, I only need one hand to count the number of new on-premises servers we have deployed. You can find an app for any workflow or task you need delivered from the cloud as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). It’s common to see e-mail, EMR systems, medical billing apps, and even PACS delivered via the cloud. By adding Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) to your current cloud-delivered systems, the need for local servers and even PCs is now optional. By removing the overhead of supporting local hardware, IT staff can focus on improving workflows, training users, and delivering key analytics to staff and managers rather than wrenching on computers all day.

Discover the 6 reasons why this one strategic move can solve your biggest HIT headaches.

Secure the remote workforce

The global pandemic ushered in the age of the remote worker. Today’s technology enables the remote worker by delivering the IT services they need via cloud. The challenge is delivering these services reliably and securely across all types of Internet connections. There are many paths to enabling the remote workforce but the challenge for companies and MSPs is delivering a consistent, secure one-size-fits-all solution. Many companies are still delivering services via VPNs to remote workstations, which is cumbersome to support and difficult to secure. Moving to SaaS applications and DaaS deployment can simplify support and provide a more secure environment.

Today’s technology enables the remote worker by delivering the IT services they need via cloud. The challenge is delivering these services reliably and securely across all types of Internet connections.

Protect against cyberthreats

The rise of the cyber-pirate has added complexity, risk, and cost to every organization with an Internet connection. For MSPs, this has become the primary focus of service delivery. Every MSP needs to be a managed security services provider (MSSP) today, with security baked into their service and product offerings. Organizations looking for low-cost support options that don’t include an aggressive security stack may find their choices limited as MSPs are looking to reduce the risk to the clients they serve and to themselves. Also consider that cyber-insurance providers are now taking a closer look at the security measures in place at practices and clinics. In concert with regulations such as HIPAA, healthcare organizations need to have a solid security strategy and an MSP who can provide guidance and the services they need.

Learn what a security framework for healthcare IT looks like.

Support digital transformation—however you define it

There are many drivers of digital transformation in healthcare. Certainly, the regulations that come out of HIPAA are part of that, but there so much more to come. We’ve seen how the cloud supports moving business process that were formally behind the walls of the clinic to anywhere the provider has an Internet collection, but what is ahead? Healthcare requires the collection of huge amounts of very personal data. That cache of data continues to grow and needs to be gathered, stored, curated, and governed so that it can be mined and shared for better healthcare outcomes. This transformation is pressing on both the healthcare industry and the MSPs that support it. The challenge for MSPs is understanding the challenges of healthcare clients and how to manage and process all the digital signals that are being captured. This is true in other industries as well, but each industry has unique drivers, regulations, and definitions of what “digital transformation” means in their world. The pace of change is accelerating, which requires dedication and focus to keep up. That’s pushing MSPs to specialize in order to truly understand the needs and challenges of our clients, and it’s why Med Tech Solutions is 100% focused on healthcare IT and understanding the rapidly changing digital transformation needs of our clients.

The pace of change is accelerating, which requires dedication and focus to keep up. That’s pushing MSPs to specialize in order to truly understand the needs and challenges of our clients, and it’s why Med Tech Solutions is 100% focused on healthcare IT and understanding the rapidly changing digital transformation needs of our clients.

The global pandemic has focused a spotlight on the IT changes that have been taking place over the past decade and has certainly accelerated these changes. The innovation and disruption that technology brings to every aspect of our lives is powerful, amazing—and often overwhelming. Your MSP needs to be well-positioned and tooled to not only support the ever-changing technologies but provide guidance and leadership when called upon.

Is your MSP keeping up with changing technologies, risks, and opportunities? Are you struggling to stay on top of growing IT demands? Do you have questions about what you should expect from a healthcare-focused MSP—and what we can provide? Get in touch!