Healthcare Infrastructure Myths It’s Time to Bust

3 Myths about Healthcare Infrastructure

Myth #1: Upgrading our IT infrastructure will cost too much.

While it’s true that overhauling healthcare IT infrastructure is a large undertaking, the difference with modern storage and server options available today is that they’re able to scale to meet any healthcare organization’s needs, making upgrading IT infrastructure a cost-effective choice.

As infrastructure ages, companies spend more resources maintaining old systems and “making things work” than they do with a technology system that supports business initiatives. The longer an organization waits to upgrade its infrastructure, the less secure and more costly it becomes to maintain.

Significant cost savings can come from moving to managed or hybrid cloud solutions. A hybrid split between on-premises and in-the-cloud gives healthcare IT teams on-site control with instant flexibility of the cloud. On the other hand if you need more flexibility, without the upfront costs, a managed IaaS environment can help you respond quickly to the needs of practitioners and patients. With the many options available, your TCO can be optimized by upgrading your infrastructure.

The bottom line is if you think it’s too expensive to upgrade today, you surely won’t want to see the price tag if you wait five years.

Myth #2: Healthcare data stored in the cloud is less secure than onsite data.

Healthcare infrastructure can seem more secure when you can physically see a server in your own data center. However, this is a limiting belief because renting space in a data center or putting data into the cloud is actually more secure today in many cases. Let us explain.

Healthcare technology providers such as Comport specialize in security and compliance—meaning we bring a required expertise to managing protected health information (PHI).

Using a colocation service, for example, hosting your data in an already established data center brings higher security than an on-premise data center because these facilities are built with compliance in mind at every stage. A multi-layer approach, 24/7/365 surveillance, on-call support, and the reduced potential for human error all contribute to reliable security of third-party data centers.

Lastly, hosting your data in tier 4 data centers (such as those provided by Comport) gives IT teams access to nearly constant security advances providing better protection against hackers. With fines levied against healthcare organizations that don’t take security seriously, hosted, managed and hybrid solutions may be your best bet.

Myth #3: We’ll be fine with our current IT systems.

This line of thinking will eventually lead to a dead end. As a technology partner who specializes in healthcare, we’ve worked with countless teams for guidance on infrastructure upgrades. Most importantly, we understand the mentality behind sticking with current systems. It’s comfortable; it’s easy; it’s the path of least resistance.

The reality is that at some point, thinking you’ll be fine with your current setup will betray you.

• • Your systems will require more maintenance than they’re worth.
  • You won’t be able to take advantage of modern technology because your infrastructure won’t be able to support it.
  • You will miss out on AI and managed solutions that can optimize your business initiatives
  • You will fall behind on compliance as stricter regulations roll out nearly every year.
  • Worst of all, your legacy system will shine like a beacon for hackers as an easy win for ransomware attacks.

Undergoing an IT infrastructure upgrade is a feat—there’s no denying it. However, having modern IT systems in healthcare is a must-have for today’s businesses.

Put Concerns to Rest & Upgrade Your Healthcare IT Infrastructure

What served your healthcare company five years ago is not necessarily what will carry you successfully into the future. Take a critical look at your IT infrastructure to determine when legacy systems have become more work than they’re worth to maintain.

At Comport, our team understands that choosing to upgrade IT infrastructure is not a light decision, and staying with the status quo is the simplest path forward. Yet this complacency will eventually lead to detrimental outcomes with legacy systems. Modern systems have evolved to combat the myths that used to hold healthcare organizations back from upgrading infrastructure. Today’s cost-effective upgrades offer best-in-class security, flexible scalability, and a predictable price.

If you’re considering whether upgrading your healthcare organization’s IT infrastructure is the right path forward, get started by talking to our Healthcare IT Experts today. Comport is with you every step of the way as an expert guide to create a roadmap for IT infrastructure upgrades tailored to your most pressing business needs. Don’t put off upgrading infrastructure any longer! Partner with us and we’ll tackle it together. Contact us today.

Author: Bill Flatley, Field CTO for Healthcare

Bill is responsible for technical strategies and recommendations for Comport’s Healthcare clients. His extensive experience includes four healthcare systems in leadership roles supporting Clinical Applications, Digital Health, and Office of the CIO as the primary liaison between IT and the business.