Managed IT Services for Healthcare

Healthcare compliance can be a headache, especially when you aren’t a cybersecurity expert. This article will breakdown managed IT services for healthcare.

The Right MSP is Worth It

Managed IT services can be important tools for companies in the healthcare sector. Companies that offer these services typically have the experience and the expertise needed to handle cybersecurity requirements, compliance with applicable healthcare regulations and other IT issues that may arise. Working with a managed services provider can allow your staff members to manage patient care rather than dealing with IT issues that may be outside their area of expertise.

If you need practical IT solutions in the healthcare industry, finding the best options for managed IT can offer real advantages for your operations and your business model. The right managed IT services can reduce your overhead costs, increase predictability for your expenses and can free up time for your staff members to allow greater focus on caring for patients in your medical facilities. Here are some key things to keep in mind when deciding whether managed IT solutions are right for your organization.

What Is a Managed Services Provider?

The experts at Gartner define an IT services provider as a company that takes responsibility for managing some or all aspects of IT for their clients. In many instances, outsourcing IT tasks to a managed services provider (MSP) that specializes in these activities can offer real benefits for healthcare organizations.

Your MSP can perform many routine IT tasks on behalf of your organization. These tasks include some or all of the following:

• Networking and infrastructure support and implementations that can enhance connectivity for your entire organization
• Cybersecurity monitoring and proactive protection for your patient data, applications and storage servers
• Secure and encrypted transmission of electronic health records in accordance with HIPAA and HITECH Act requirements
• Scheduled upgrades and installations for software used in your facilities
• Always-available support and help-desk functions that can reduce the duration of downtime for your organization
• Cloud management and infrastructure implementations to allow secure access to applications and data from a variety of locations
• Unified communications as a services (UCaaS) options that can enhance connectivity for all staff members
• Intelligent wide-area-network (WAN) solutions that will link all your locations securely and reliably

Finding the right MSP for your organization can be challenging. Knowing what to look for when selecting your IT services provider will allow you to manage all aspects of your IT requirements in a much more practical and streamlined way.

How to Choose a Managed Services Provider for Your Organization

Deciding on the right MSP will allow your company to enjoy greater confidence in your IT arrangements and can even free up funds for additional staffing in the core activities of your business. Forbes has identified four key characteristics of the best managed services providers and the IT solutions they offer for their clients:

• Cost-effective IT solutions: The right MSP can allow your current IT team to focus on activities that support patient care. By outsourcing cybersecurity and compliance concerns to a trusted IT services provider, you can free up time for your staff and can eliminate the need to hire additional staff for these important tasks.
• Partnerships with key players in the industry: Your managed services provider should have established relationships with leaders in the computing field. This will ensure that your organization stays on the cutting edge of technologies related to the protection of patient data in the medical field.
• Knowledge of compliance requirements: HIPAA and HITECH are among the best known regulations governing the storage, use and transmission of electronic health records and patient data. Your managed IT firm should have in-depth knowledge of all applicable regulations to ensure the best outcomes for your organization and your patients.
• Superior customer service: Your IT services provider should be available when you need assistance and should provide assessments of your online security and proactive support for all your managed IT and cybersecurity requirements.

Keeping these four characteristics in mind can help you choose the right MSP for your healthcare organization’s current and future IT needs.

Benefits of Working with the Right Managed IT Firm

Choosing a qualified and established provider for managed IT services can allow you to enjoy some important advantages when dealing with confidential and protected patient information and accessing necessary applications in the healthcare industry:

• The experts at your IT services provider can provide you with clear and accurate answers and the best guidance for new implementations and security requirements for your existing systems.
• Your MSP will also tailor a solution that is precisely right for your needs. This can allow greater scalability and improved cost controls for your IT requirements.
• If you opt for cloud management services, you can often take advantage of existing infrastructure put in place by your managed IT provider. This can save you money and time while allowing you access to the most advanced IT solutions for your institution.
• Your managed IT services are available 24 hours a day to monitor cybersecurity and to provide help-desk assistance for you and your team. Always-on support can help you respond more quickly to cyberthreats and can ensure the most proactive approach to new and developing threats in the online environment.

These are only a few of the many benefits your organization will enjoy by outsourcing your IT activities to a company that specializes in managed IT services. At Meriplex, we offer IT solutions that are designed with your company’s needs in mind.

Why Meriplex Is the Right Managed Services Provider for Your Healthcare Organization

Meriplex is a leading managed services provider with extensive experience in the healthcare industry. Our help desk is always available to help your organization manage cybersecurity requirements, regulatory compliance, connectivity and cloud infrastructure implementations. To learn more about the extensive lineup of managed services available from Meriplex, you can contact us online to touch base with our team today. At Meriplex, we offer comprehensive managed IT services for the healthcare industry in a constantly evolving online world.