Lifeline Feature: Data Storage Solutions for Hospitals

Hospitals are handling more data every day, and some are struggling with how to manage data warehousing functions in a way that doesn’t put additional strain on their budgets.

Onsite data centers may become inadequate or impractical, as the volume of stored information grows. In that case, hospitals should find a data warehousing solution that serves their needs and keeps patient data safe.

Health records and the cloud

Proponents of cloud data storage say it’s safer than physical data centers, but that may be a faulty conclusion. With only 1 percent of data and applications stored in the cloud, there’s no way to adequately compare its security to data centers.

CPB Magazine interviewed Lifeline’s Rich Banta for its article, “Data Centers With Patients,” and Banta explained one shortcoming of cloud security:

“Everything [in the cloud] shares a security model and shares vulnerability, so if another resident of the cloud is severely compromised, you’re at risk yourself.”

Another concern for hospitals is which healthcare privacy laws apply to their records. In April 2015, The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released its “Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information.” The report stated that with cloud systems, data may be stored offshore, overseen by countries that have different health privacy laws that could put electronic health records at risk.

Accessibility of data

Proximity to servers does matter, in terms of accessing data quickly. When an emergency arises and doctors need immediate access to patient data, hospitals need to know their servers are up to the task.

The fastest response time, of course, comes from on-site storage. But when you must move your data center, choosing a location nearby will still offer faster access than the cloud

Alex Carroll, co-owner of Lifeline Data Centers, told CPB Magazine that a hospital building its own offsite data center could spend $1,200 to $1,500 per square foot – and that doesn’t include maintenance or operational costs. With many hospital budgets squeezed by administrative costs, building this type of facility might not be feasible.

Colocation facilities allow hospitals to move data centers to rented space offsite, for a fraction of the cost (about $150 per square foot). And they offer several benefits for hospitals, including:

-Location in major urban areas, offering server proximity
-Physical security barriers and systems that protect data
-Multiple redundancies in-place, ensuring maximum uptime
-Staff compliance experts, to ensure protocol is followed

To learn more about why Lifeline Data Centers provide the most reliable, affordable and secure solution for your offsite data storage, schedule a tour of our building today.

Other resources:

• All You Need to Know About Tier Classification, read more
• Standards for the Telecommunication Industry: TIA-942 vs. the Uptime Institute Tiers, read more
• Why Data Centers are Necessary for Enterprise Businesses, read more

Alex Carroll

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.