Is your healthcare institution doing all it can do to mitigate against sentinel events?

Evan Bossonis

Business Development Leader, Team Lead - Unified Communications

ebossonis@iplogic.com

A sentinel event is defined by The Joint Commission (TJC) as: “any unanticipated event in a healthcare setting resulting in death or serious physical or psychological injury to a patient or patients, not related to the natural course of the patient's illness.”

“Ineffective communication is the most frequently cited root cause for sentinel events. Effective communication that is timely, accurate, complete, unambiguous, and understood by the recipient reduces error and results in improved patient safety.” - 2009 Joint Commission (TJC) - Hospital National Patient Safety Goals.

The Benefits of Implementing Data Recovery

The value of an organization’s data isn’t in question. Information is clearly one of a company’s most strategic assets. And ensuring quick and easy access to that data while also guaranteeing it is protected is critical to your company’s continued growth and success. Cloud computing is emerging as an efficient and cost-effective means of data backup and recovery.

Data backup and recovery refer to the process of first creating a copy your organization’s critical electronic information then being able to easily access it after a data loss, deletion or corruption. Technologies and policies related to data protection enable business continuity by restoring a copy of your data from a point in time.

Specifically, backup allows you to access data for two purposes. The first objective is disaster recovery after a large scale data event or even a complete data center loss. The second objective is to recover data or specific transactions from an earlier time that may need to be accessed In the course of normal business operations by a system administrator or IT manager.

Here are a few of the benefits of implementing data backup and recovery systems based on cloud computing architecture:

• Rapid Scalability - Many vendors offer an environment thatsupports the quick addition of storage capacity based on your changing needs.
• Regulatory Compliance - Having secure and redundant data protection may help your organization comply with regulations like HIPAA, SOX or GLBA.
• Cost Savings - Cloud computing can deliver quicker recovery times and multi-site availability without an investment in your own hardware such as servers or Storage Area Networks (SANs).
• Secure Data Transmissions - Industry-leading encryption is used to prevent unauthorized access to your data.
• Intuitive Interface - Data access and retrieval is often simplified through a user-friendly interface allowing users to browse and recover files on their own.
• Redundancy - Vendors normally utilize geographically dispersed data centers and multiple communications partners to ensure 24 x 7 access to your information without disruption based on factors out of your control.

One of the solutions IPLogic offers for data protection is Net2Vault. They leverage partnerships with both NetApp and SunGard to deliver industry-leading backup and disaster recovery services. Cloud architecture is used to deliver easy online access and lower costs to existing NetApp customers who are looking for a secondary means of back up.

Your IT team will appreciate that Net2Vault’s solution is specifically designed to be an offsite extension of the existing NetApp architecture instead of a stand-alone third-party service. The technology seamlessly integrates with your systems in native NetApp state which protects previous investments while also offering a familiar interface. You can SnapVault your data in native format for quick and easy recovery from what is setup as a node on your network.

Prior to selecting a specific solution for backup and recovery it is important to build a data protection plan. Not only will this provide your organization with a roadmap for identifying the appropriate technologies itwill also help ensure a successful implementation. If you would like help building your data protection plan contact us. IPLogic can help with planning, developing backup policies, reducing administrative costs and choosing a solution that offers your organization the greatest operational efficiencies.

Reduce Telecommunications Costs Without Sacrificing Service

Reduce Telecommunications Costs Without Sacrificing Service

Businesses rely on telecommunications to access information, strengthen relationships and enable success. Voice services, internet connectivity and data networking are critical components for connecting with both internal and external stakeholders. It isn’t a secret that these services normally account for a healthy percentage of a company’s expenses.

There are, however, a few cost-saving strategies that can be performed relatively easily. Here are a few tips savvy companies have used to increase the quality of their communications while also saving money:

• Perform an Audit - An audit of your existing services and expenses can help quickly identify opportunities for savings. There may be rates that have been in place for a few years that can be renegotiated to better reflect market rates. It may also make sense to consider utilizing an external firm to assist with the audit. The right partner can bring expertise from similar projects that can add to your savings.
• Embrace Technology - You may already have existing networking infrastructure in place that can be upgraded to take advantage of Voice Over IP (VoIP) or other emerging technologies. Some of the newer technologies can provide a higher quality of service and cost savings if rolled out strategically.
• Maintain an Accurate Inventory - It is critical to understand which voice, data and internet services your company is actually using. If you take the time to establish then maintain a complete inventory of your lines it will be easier to eliminate underused resources or consolidate services. In addition, this snapshot will help as you renegotiate contracts with your provider.
• Merge Accounts - If you have voice services from one provider and data from another consider moving one of these services to the other provider. Just from a billing perspective using the same carrier will make it easier for your to understand what you’re paying for. In addition, purchasing more services from an existing provider may qualify you for different levels of customer support or discounts.
• Tap Into Buying Power - The more services you use and the more locations you represent the easier it will be to negotiate better rates. Don’t let remote sites or branch offices purchase their telecommunications directly. Centralize the purchasing with a single provider. Having multiple locations use different carriers increases your expenses and is more difficult to manage. This consolidation will also help you eliminate expenses associated with unused resources.
• Consolidate It - This is a little different from the concept of merging accounts mentioned above. Consider instead working with a partner who can offer the best cost per service on the networks of multiple providers. IPLogic’s carrier solutions provides companies with the right mix of data, audio and video connectivity to match their needs and budget. Even if those services are run on the networks of multiple providers you benefit from working with a single vendor for billing, customer support and telecommunications services.

Contact us if you would like to learn more about how to optimize your telecommunications. IPLogic’s team of experts can perform an assessment of your existing service and determine your business needs. We’ll then present a full evaluation consisting of a set of solutions with the carriers to cater to your connectivity and budget needs. No more working with multiple vendors to provide different functions on different physical networks.