Shalom Park is a not-for-profit nursing home facility in Aurora, Colo., that provides residents with a high-quality living environment and holistic wellness programs, including social, recreational, and medical support services.
The challenge
Shalom Park realized its technology platforms were outdated and the source of frequent disruptions, performance issues, and security vulnerabilities. Having consistent functionality and a secure, HIPAA-compliant repository for residents’ personal health data is mission-critical for Shalom Park, as a 24/7 senior care provider. But Shalom Park struggled with the rollout and maintenance of its technologies. Staff often couldn’t chart day-to-day activities and keep up with the demands of resident care, which exposed the organization to significant risk.
To solve these challenges, Shalom Park contacted Plante Moran for outside support, after having worked with Plante Moran’s IT consulting team on a handful of other projects. When our managed IT professionals stepped in to help, they were already familiar with Shalom Park’s technology environment and were able to get started quickly.
The solution
As Shalom Park’s IT advisor, our professionals:
- Provided recommendations for smoother technology rollouts and improved infrastructure stability.
- Assisted with the implementation of new IT systems.
- Helped Shalom Park prepare for annual HIPAA assessments and state audits, as well as reviews from other regulatory bodies, by developing enhanced data protection policies, procedures, and security configurations.
- Provided cybersecurity support through on-site visits, continuous monitoring, active remediation efforts, and quick issue resolution.
- Provided comprehensive security awareness training to Shalom Park staff, customized to their skill sets and focused on common threats like phishing scams and maintaining secure healthcare records.
Upon resolving the challenges Shalom Park faced, our experts were retained as its outsourced IT department. When Shalom Park needed to pivot to remote work, but lacked the required infrastructure to do so, we were ready to help. We developed a strategy that:
- Ensured Shalom Park had the proper licenses, equipment, and communication methods to facilitate remote work.
- Migrated operations to the Microsoft 365 suite, which allowed for technology integration into new policies and procedures like visitor monitoring, lockdowns, temperature checks, and more.
- Implemented controls to detect security breaches and lock down affected workstations for investigation and remediation.
Our professionals also made a positive impact by helping transition Shalom Park’s data storage to an off-site, cloud-based e-record maintenance system. For this project, we assisted with vendor selection and implementation to make sure the chosen solution would meet Shalom Park’s security and compliance needs while remaining easy for staff to use.
The benefit
Today, we’re continuing to apply our industry and technology expertise to Shalom Park’s technology environment, resulting in:
- Industry-leading technology capabilities. Rather than being years behind the technology curve (a common scenario in the senior care and living space), Shalom Park is using the best in new technologies to remain compliant, optimize its cybersecurity posture, and provide reliable day-to-day operations for its staff and residents.
- Increased staff retention. With regular training and software solutions customized to staff needs, Shalom Park has eliminated technological barriers for its staff, increasing their job satisfaction and allowing them to focus on delivering patient care.
- An adaptable, affordable, scalable technology platform. We regularly collaborate with Shalom Park to explore cost reductions, expanded efficiencies, and ongoing maintenance and implementation needs.
We continue to be Shalom Park’s outsourced IT department and are committed to keeping them on the cutting edge of emerging healthcare technology solutions.
Curious to know if our team can help you reach the next level of technology solutions and patient care? Learn more.
