Samaritan Health Services partnered with Ivanti to streamline operations, drive efficiency and improve digital security.
When it comes to patient welfare in the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, technology is pivotal to streamlining operations and enhancing care. Samaritan Health Services is a prime example of how to successfully leverage technology to achieve those gains.
Formed in 1997, Samaritan is a nonprofit regional health system in the Willamette Valley of Oregon that brings five community hospitals, a myriad of physician clinics, and health insurance plans together to serve around 290,000 residents across a five-county area. With over 6,000 employees, it supports approximately 1000 physicians and providers.
The challenge of IT management for such a large network of facilities and services is formidable for its 300-person Information Services staff. It demands a robust IT infrastructure to ensure absolutely seamless operations and high-quality patient care.
In past years, Samaritan faced multiple IT-related challenges that were hindering its operational efficiency. One primary issue was the impending end-of-life of their prior system, LANDESK. The need for a newer, fresher, and more scalable solution was clear.
Plus, there was a desire for greater automation, as well as an organizational impetus to move into the cloud, obtain more advanced features and scalability to grow with Samaritan while maintaining only a very light on-premises footprint.
As Samaritan assessed its options, it found itself turning to Ivanti because its solutions could deliver the qualities and performance Samaritan was looking for enhanced IT service management (ITSM) across its network.
How did implementation net out? Joan Rose, IS Change & Technical Project Manager for Samaritan, says it was accomplished on schedule, at scope, and within budget, and notes that implementations “don’t always go like that.”
Implementation was accomplished on schedule, at scope, and within budget.
According to Joan, one challenge Ivanti helped address is what Joan calls "ticket hockey," where multiple tickets arrive at the helpdesk from different directions like shots on goal. "You're getting tickets, tickets, tickets from different places because we're supporting hundreds of applications and all sorts of clinical and facility types," she says.
To facilitate handing them, intake was automated in Ivanti Neurons for ITSM, so each ticket gets assigned to the right queue or routed for review by the proper work group. Plus, the resolutions for each ticket are now fully documented, making it simpler to address future occurrences.
On another front, automation has supported patient care by enabling personnel to get quicker access to the platform used for electronic health record management. "Somebody joins the (medical and nursing) staff today and they're going to be on the floor tomorrow," Joan explains. So, any delays in Epic access means a physician or nurse would require a colleague record notes on their behalf or wait for access before seeing patients, both inefficient options.
"Access management to the different Epic modules was the bane of so many people's existence,” Joan says, “and now we've got a lot of that streamlined. So we're eliminating a lot of the kind of waste that we had before.”
The move to Ivanti solutions meant that "many of our processes have gotten smoother and we've 'unplugged the human' from a lot of things,” Joan notes, “so much so that we don't have to worry about someone retiring or leaving us," which could result in a loss of legacy knowledge.
"Now we've got most of that documented in a way that is easily accessible for the folks that will be picking up those roles," she says. This has helped them continue to keep shifting left on helpdesk services.
Automation of routine tasks has freed up Samaritan’s IT staff to focus on more strategic initiatives. The advantages of this were made clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a dramatic shift in healthcare delivery models and an increased reliance on telehealth services. The agility enabled by automating routine tasks allowed the team to help Samaritan quickly adapt to these changes, ensuring that patient care saw minimal disruption.
Ivanti's capabilities have also facilitated better communication and collaboration across Samaritan’s workforce. Information Services can now manage devices more effectively, ensuring that everyone has access to necessary tools and information.
The endpoint visibility they've gained has been valuable, too. "The ability to track licensing is something we’re beginning to leverage more," Joan explains. "We're able to see which employees are running which applications and which are unused, so we know if we should be reclaiming licenses."
Moreover, Ivanti's robust security features have played a vital role in protecting patient data, a critical concern in healthcare. With cybersecurity threats on the rise, Ivanti's solutions bolstered Samaritan's defenses against potential breaches, giving both patients and staff peace of mind.
Looking forward, Samaritan plans to further delve into Ivanti’s capabilities. One focus will be on leveraging advanced analytics and AI to gain deeper insights into operational data, which can inform strategic decisions and further improve patient care.
Some other areas where Samaritan will be expanding its use of Ivanti solutions:
What would Joan Rose say to other healthcare organizations about her team’s experience with Ivanti solutions and support? “I feel like Ivanti is really making an effort to listen to their customers and connect people with each other. Their healthcare user group has been really valuable for us. We can crowdsource solutions there – or commiserate on the challenges we all face in healthcare. It’s all of us, together, helping each of us do a little better each day, and that’s been huge.”
With limited resources, organizations like hers need to need to know “where we want to go with what we have,” and Ivanti and its implementation partner, NCSi, have supplied “really great collaboration on all of those fronts,” Joan says. “That’s about the best you can ask for in a vendor relationship.”