Implementing a New Data Archive Solution on a Critically Tight Deadline

Munising Memorial Hospital Case Study

The Organization

Munising Memorial Hospital (MMH), a small hospital in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, offers primary and hospital care for Alger County, Michigan residents. Their mission: be the provider of choice for the community while offering unsurpassed personal and professional integrity. 

The Situation

MMH staff received notice that their eMD host would shut off server access in a month. Along with this emergency deadline, MMH’s Healthland server was outdated and posed a potential security risk. With a one-person IT department, the 11-bed hospital required a flexible, cost-effective data archiving solution.

The Solution

Harmony Healthcare IT demonstrated HealthData Archiver® technology at the Michigan HIMSS conference and later for a larger MMH team. MMH selected this HIPAA-compliant active archive solution for its easy-to-use interface, role-based access and rapid implementation plan. Harmony Healthcare IT also offered SaaS pricing to help MMH with the unexpected budget expense during the middle of the fiscal year. 

Developing a Close Partnership to Meet Data Archiving Goals

As a small community hospital, MMH staff assume multiple cross-disciplinary responsibilities. Harmony Healthcare IT and MMH developed a plan that allowed for flexible validation procedures while meeting urgent deadlines. Harmony Healthcare IT also worked closely with MMH team members in non-technology-based roles to train them in processes and procedures. 

The Results

Harmony Healthcare IT quickly aligned resources to complete the work and validate test data to deploy the archive. The teams implemented HealthData Archiver® before the Healthland server died and the eMD server access was revoked. After upfront implementation expenses, MMH will save about 50 percent in monthly costs with the new data archive. 

Lessons Learned

It is important to have a strong relationship with an expert vendor. With the short timeframe, milestone deadlines needed to be met and have results that worked for multiple team members. Input from all necessary internal team members at the beginning of a project is crucial for success. 

Implement the five Harmony Healthcare IT core values into all project phases: 

  • Do the right thing. Follow through on each step of the plan and communicate clearly. 
  • Be easy to work with. Help team members with varying levels of technological expertise. 
  • Exceed expectations. Recognize project hurdles and offer effective solutions.  
  • Serve humbly. Make adjustments throughout the process to meet needs.  
  • Never stop improving. Approach project from a different angle to fulfill unique needs.  

Client Quote

Robert Greenhoe 

Technology Director, Munising Memorial Hospital  

“The Harmony Healthcare IT team met us where we were at. They recognized our issues, provided a great technology solution and implemented a flexible plan to achieve our goal. During an incredibly stressful time, they were here for us.” 

 Implementing Our Core Values

At Harmony Healthcare IT, we implement our five core values for every project for every client. While these values may seem simple, they work in harmony to achieve long-lasting success for our partners. 

 

Dec 08 2023

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