
In the high-stakes game of running a healthcare business, your health IT strategy is your poker hand. Many organizations are still playing with table stakes – the minimum buy-in just to sit at the table. They’ve got backups, they’ve got a guy they can call at any time that will pull over and take their call, and they’ve got servers they love that live in the closet down the hall. But with healthcare today, this approach is equivalent to going all-in with a pair of twos.
Let’s examine the gamble:
Table Stakes (The Minimum Ante):
- Local Servers in the closet down the hall
- Backups on a hard drive
- Basic Electronic Health Records (EHR)
- Rudimentary cybersecurity, no cyber awareness training
- Standard communication tools, texting the internal team
- Simple data storage on a server or even still with paper files
Playing with these table stakes – relying on a small internal IT team or a local generalist IT provider – is like pushing all your chips to the center with a weak hand. You’re betting your organization’s future on outdated technology and limited expertise.
The Risks of this Gamble:
- Data breaches: You’re exposed to cyberattacks like a novice player telegraphing their hand.
- Inefficiency: You’re wasting time and resources, like calling every bet without a strategy.
- Missed opportunities: You’re folding on innovation, missing out on the big pots of improved patient care and operational excellence.
- Regulatory non-compliance: You’re risking penalties, like playing in a high-stakes game without knowing all the rules.
Raising the Stakes (The Winning Strategy):
To stay competitive, you need to upgrade your hand:
- IT Roadmap and Budget: Your royal flush of insights
- Robust Cybersecurity and Security Training: A full house of protection
- Procurement and Purchasing: A straight flush of connectivity
- Dedicated Technical Advisor: Your ace in the hole
- Teams Cloud Files: The wild card that can transform your game and make you win at every table
By investing in these areas with a seasoned health IT partner like HealthSafeIT, you’re not gambling – you’re playing with a stacked deck. You’re positioning your organization to win big in improved patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage.
Remember, in health IT, playing it safe is the riskiest bet of all. Don’t gamble with table stakes when the jackpot of superior patient care and organizational success is within reach.
Ready to stop gambling and start winning with your health IT strategy? Contact Stringfellow to stack the odds in your favor.