Technology Breakdowns A Core Strategic Concern For Hospitals

Not just a hurricane or tornado can shut down the IT infrastructure; man-made attacks threaten as well

Disasters, natural and man-made, threaten more than hospital property. With many healthcare information technology systems integrated and focused on patient care, the threat of an IT or communications shutdown can be both dangerous to patients and costly to the health system.

At Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, Indiana, the risks of a technology failure from a natural disaster has risen on the radar screen. In 2013, the Seymour, Indiana-based hospital rewrote its emergency preparedness plan to elevate the response to a technology shutdown. As we go into our next budget cycle, we’re looking to enhance our capabilities to where we have two hot sites for our technology systems,” said Craig Rice, Schneck’s director of IT.  Not just a hurricane or tornado can shut down the IT infrastructure. The theft of private patient personal information and financial data from malware, a devastating virus, a DDOS (distributed denial of service) event and phishing attack are other rising concerns, he added...