With a priority on investing as much of every dollar on patient care as possible, doctors of chiropractic are looking for cost-effective ways to reduce capital expenditures as their practices grow and exit the Internet technology (IT) business. Moving IT services to the cloud offers a compelling alternative to provisioning IT the traditional way. Instead of staffing an IT team and buying and maintaining costly infrastructure and hardware, think of the cloud as "renting" a pre-built infrastructure and IT services. We moved all of our IT to the cloud and it has been the best technology decision we have ever made.
On a recent trip to Silicon Valley for a business conference, I met up with my friend Karen Hayward, the executive vice president and chief marketing officer of CenterBeam, a IT managed service provider delivering cloud technology. With so much happening in the IT world so quickly, I wanted to get an overview of where we are today in the world of cloud technology. To help doctors of chiropractic learn more about how to leverage a safe, efficient and cost-effective IT environment, I did a quick Q&A with Karen.
What is the cloud? While the cloud terminology is new, the technology is not. When the Internet began offering significant bandwidth in the '90s, Web 2.0 emerged. Greater bandwidth paved the way for companies to deliver enterprise-class applications via the Web. Since then, Web-based services have continued to evolve into what is now commonly called cloud-based services.
In layman terms, cloud computing simply refers to IT resources and applications that are available via the Internet. Services hosted over the cloud run on servers connected to the Internet. Web mail is a simple example. If you use Web mail services such as Gmail or Yahoo!, your e-mail is considered "in the cloud" because you can access it from any device with an Internet connection.
What are the three primary benefits of moving to the cloud? 1) It's cost effective. Managed IT services delivered via the cloud offer reduced management overhead, access to a broader scope of IT expertise, lower overall financial investment, and improved system uptime/availability. IT services are analogous to a utility whereby your cloud provider supplies your organization's computing needs (think "subscribe vs. own"). 2) You gain on-demand services and support. Few health care organizations have the resources, expertise or capital necessary to keep their infrastructure in peak condition, let alone support or contribute to the operational challenges they are trying to conquer. 3) It frees you from the IT burden. By offloading the complexities of IT infrastructure management and helpdesk support, you can focus on patient care. And with the right cloud provider, you'll have on-demand access to a wide range of technical experts and a team that will remain engaged with you to ensure your IT stays aligned with your business requirements.
What does a cloud provider do? Essentially, a cloud service provider owns the burden of continually investing in and maintaining an enterprise-class infrastructure so you don't have to. Instead, you pay a flat monthly rate for just those services you subscribe to. The cloud provider staffs for a diverse set of technical capabilities, procures hardware and software, and ensures your hosted servers and applications remain up to date with the latest security patches.
What are the main things to look for when choosing a cloud provider? Not all cloud providers are equal. Each organization has unique business requirements (such as HIPAA compliance); health care leaders who are clear on their priorities and firm on their requirements can make a transition to the cloud not only a smart, but also a safe decision. Knowing the key areas to focus on as you explore cloud services can help you select the best provider for your needs and help ensure success:
What are the key advantages of leveraging the cloud? Moving IT services to the cloud allows health care organizations to stay focused on strategic goals and priorities with the confidence that IT operations are running smoothly. And by offering organizations access to enterprise class tools and services, customers receive cost-effective IT services that are more reliable and secure than what they could provision on their own.
Doctors of chiropractic need every advantage in this highly competitive health care marketplace. Leveraging technology to reduce capital expenditures, improve efficiency and build an infrastructure for growth are critical to our bottom lines. Finding trusted technology vendors is 99 percent of the game. You hire the right people, you follow their recommendations and they become part of your practice team. IT service providers will play an increasingly important role and national health care takes hold. Start your engines now, and you'll be ready to fuel your growth for security and longevity in practice.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
