CASE STUDY
Health staff members have been migrated to digital workspace technology .
“ This type of Citrix and Google platform gives Hackensack Meridian Health – and for that matter , organizations in the healthcare industry in general – a competitive edge in efficiently and effectively delivering patient care ,” Eimer said .
“ We know that not all healthcare applications work well in the cloud , which is why we ’ re not out of the data center business entirely ,” he continues , “ but there is value in moving many apps – by use case – to the cloud . Doing so gives us better security and more flexibility in how we deliver apps to clinicians .”
An effective technology partnership
Hackensack Meridian ’ s new end-user computing model for workplace productivity capitalizes on a long list of great technology : Google Chromebooks or Chromeboxes , Chrome OS , a data analytics platform ; Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and predictive health analytics .
Add tap-and-go and the published electronic health records ( EHR ) platform , Epic . Microsoft Azure and Google are the cloud providers for the hybrid cloud , multi-cloud environment . Multifactor authentication ensures that only authorized users can access patients ’ protected health information ( PHI ).
About Hackensack Meridian Health
Headquartered in Edison , New Jersey , Hackensack Meridian Health is the largest integrated delivery network and hospital system in New Jersey . It is comprised of 17 hospitals , 36,000 employees and more than 500 patient centers or locations across New Jersey . The health system includes four academic medical centers , a school of medicine and a research institute .
said . “ The ability to have individual cell numbers for our Citrix and Google account managers so we can escalate a problem is incredibly valuable for Hackensack Meridian Health .”
Security and mitigating cybercrime risk
Healthcare environments are constantly targeted by cybercriminals . By partnering with Citrix and Google , Hackensack Meridian Health found a solution that mitigates those cybercrime risks . The team implemented multifactor authentication so that whether a user is inside the four walls of the hospital , or working from home , that person is working on a secure , modern platform that most cybercriminals cannot penetrate .
“ With Chromebooks and Citrix , we ’ ve been able to achieve several hybrid work models with one solution . We accommodate three groups : fully remote employees , those who prefer hybrid work , and staff members who work on-site ,” said Eimer .
To onboard new employees , the team simply sends Chromebooks to employees , or they deliver them to onsite workers . New users can be up and running within minutes of receipt of equipment .
Not only does Hackensack Meridian Health use Virtual Apps and Desktops from Citrix , but the organization is in the early stages of adopting Citrix Cloud and Citrix Desktop as a Service ( DaaS ). Citrix DaaS is a cloud computing offering that securely delivers virtual apps and desktops from the cloud to any device .
Partnership extends to support
Hackensack Meridian Health is also capitalizing on Citrix priority support .
“ When we run into situations that negatively impact patient care , having priority support is crucial ,” Eimer
The team have already seen compelling results with its new platform : a 30 % reduction in spam received via the email system , and 10 % faster login times on the Chromebooks clinical workstations use case . The environment has multiple layers of defense , and the Google plus Citrix platform with Chromebooks is just one component of the secure environment . Clinicians can focus on patient care rather than on security or on hunting for electronic health records .
The evolution continues
The work that Eimer and his team have been doing at HMH has driven a culture change for employees , doctors and other healthcare workers .
“ As you can imagine , employees spend long periods of time doing things one way and processes get hardwired . We ’ ve worked to change how people think about solving problems ,” Eimer said .
The hospital system is doing just as the legendary MacGyver did : continuing to invent new ways to address technology challenges as they arise . Stay tuned for more episodes to come . p
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