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Sentara Health is a not-for-profit health system, one of the largest in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast and among the top 20 largest in the country, with 30,000 employees, 12 hospitals in Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina, and the Sentara Health Plans division, which serves more than 1.2 million members in Virginia and Florida.

THE PROBLEM

Sentara has embarked on a cloud computing journey to enhance operational efficiency, improve patient care and strengthen data security. Through strategic work with vendors and innovative initiatives, Sentara has leveraged cloud technologies to transform its IT infrastructure with the aim of delivering improved patient outcomes.

In 2018, Sentara launched its digital front door initiative to enhance patient experience and improve access to healthcare services through technology and innovation.

"The digital front door includes various components to make healthcare more convenient and accessible for patients," said Tim Skeen, executive vice president and CIO at Sentara Health. "One key element was implementing a mobile app that allows patients to schedule appointments, access medical records and communicate with healthcare providers.

"This app provides a seamless and personalized patient experience, eliminating the need for phone calls or in-person visits for routine tasks," he added.

To strategically move Sentara to the path of a digital front door, staff recognized the need to securely architect, deploy and manage applications, services and assets in the cloud, he said.

"As we looked at rolling out the digital front door, we also recognized the need for a consumer-facing app in the cloud, our enterprise data platform, EHR, CRM, claims platform, and many other strategic and business-focused applications," Skeen recalled.

"As businesses increasingly migrate to cloud-based environments, ensuring the security of sensitive data and applications becomes paramount," he continued. "Cloud computing has revolutionized how businesses operate but has also introduced new security challenges."

PROPOSAL

Skeen said first up was understanding the cloud security framework.

"The cloud security framework offers a comprehensive approach to safeguarding cloud infrastructures, leveraging advanced technologies and implementing industry best practices," he explained. "This technology provides a solid foundation for the cloud security framework, enabling organizations to protect sensitive data and ensure the integrity of their cloud-based operations."

Tim Skeen, Sentara Health

Key components of the framework, Skeen outlined, include:

MEETING THE CHALLENGE

Skeen said there are many benefits of the cloud security framework, including:

"The automated deployment of cloud security framework technologies were used to streamline and enhance the process," Skeen explained. "Optafi, a cloud security vendor, recognized the need for an automated approach to deploying their security framework to protect cloud environments efficiently. By implementing automation tools and methodologies, we were able to simplify and accelerate the deployment process while ensuring the highest level of security.

"One key aspect of the automation strategy was the use of infrastructure as code (IaC) principles," he continued. "By defining cloud infrastructure through code, we could standardize and automate the deployment of their security framework across multiple cloud environments."

This eliminates the need for manual configuration and reduces the risk of human error, resulting in a more secure and consistent deployment, he added.

"Moreover, we leveraged continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to automate the entire deployment lifecycle," he noted. "CI/CD pipelines facilitate the seamless integration of code changes, automated testing, and deployment of the security framework. This allows for faster iterations and ensures that the latest security enhancements are promptly deployed in the cloud environment.

"Intelligent orchestration and configuration management tools were employed to enhance the cloud security framework's automation further," he continued. "These tools enable us to manage and automate the configuration of security controls centrally, ensuring that all cloud instances are adequately secured and compliant with industry standards."

Additionally, automated monitoring and alerting systems were implemented to proactively detect and respond to any security incidents or vulnerabilities, he said.

RESULTS

Skeen reported some key success metrics of the cloud program:

Follow Bill's HIT coverage on LinkedIn: Bill SiwickiEmail him:bsiwicki@himss.orgHealthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.

Link:
Sentara Health saves $5.8M annually via migration to cloud - Healthcare IT News