Overview
Charlottesville Gastroenterology & Associates, a leading medical practice, faced the daunting challenge of overhauling their antiquated IT infrastructure. In partnership with Seventh Wall, they embarked on a journey to not only revitalize their systems but to restore their faith in the power of technology. This case study delves into the strategy employed by Seventh Wall to execute a seamless transformation that improved workflow efficiency and ensured operational continuity.
Situation Analysis
The Catalyst for Change
The practice was struggling with an outdated and complex IT infrastructure that impeded daily operations and placed undue stress on their onsite IT support. The core issues included:
- A reliance on an unsustainable number of physical servers.
- Network vulnerabilities that posed security risks.
- Inefficiencies in workflow and communication.
The Challenge
The primary challenge was to conduct a comprehensive overhaul of the practice’s IT systems without interrupting the daily care and operations critical to patient outcomes. The solution needed to:
- Rebuild the trust in technology and its providers.
- Offer incremental yet significant workflow efficiency gains.
- Implement a sophisticated and holistic security solution.
Seventh Wall’s Strategic Solution
Stage One: Streamlining and Securing Operations
Seventh Wall began by deconstructing the complexity of the practice’s systems. The team worked diligently with software vendors to reduce the reliance on physical servers by over 78%. By deploying an updated network infrastructure, potential security breaches were mitigated, and a more efficient operational flow was established. Group Policies were enacted to refine and regulate operational protocols, coupled with the deployment of Seventh Wall’s security suite to all endpoints. Additionally, the introduction of Microsoft 365 to the entire staff was a crucial step toward modernizing the practice’s workflow.
Stage Two: Refining and Expanding Capabilities
Once the initial stage was successfully implemented, the focus turned to optimization. Slow or problematic endpoints were replaced, ensuring a swift and reliable user experience. With the practice’s growth, network enhancement through additional wireless support became imperative. Preparing for contingencies, a secondary internet service provider was installed to provide an essential safety net. The crowning achievement was transitioning the final servers to a cloud-based system, culminating in a completely streamlined IT environment.
Measured Outcomes
The transformation led to a marked decrease in IT-related issues. Service disruptions decreased significantly, with over 90% of potential issues being resolved remotely. The robustness of the new network facilitated heightened efficiency, and the cloud-based infrastructure empowered the staff with newfound flexibility in their work locations.
The Aftermath and Legacy
The success at Charlottesville Gastroenterology caught the attention of Gastro Health, which led to the merger of the practices in late 2022. Our cloud-based solution set a precedent that Gastro Health sought to implement across its network. As we parted ways with the Charlottesville clinic in April 2023, we left a blueprint for a future where technology and healthcare work hand in hand to deliver unparalleled patient care.