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Tim Hopen
IT Support Analyst
Carnegie Hospital, a rural critical access hospital in Oklahoma, is one of five small hospitals managed by Cohesive Healthcare Management and Consulting. With less than 20 beds and a constantly tight budget, Carnegie faces unique challenges in providing quality healthcare while maintaining robust information security.
Now, with Virtru protecting data flowing through Microsoft Outlook and Office 365, they can tackle these challenges with an out-of-the-box email protection solution. Here’s what they get with Virtru:
Tim Hopen, now an IT Support Analyst for Cohesive, began his journey with Carnegie as their IT Manager. "These are small, but important hospitals because they fill a gap for people living in these rural communities," Hopen explains. "Larger hospitals could be an hour or more away."
As healthcare increasingly shifted towards electronic records and communication, Hopen and his team recognized the growing importance of email security and HIPAA compliance. "Everything was transitioning from paper charts to electronic," Hopen recalls. "We realized we had to do something about HIPAA requirements, especially with email."
The challenge was finding a solution that would not only meet compliance standards but also be user-friendly enough for staff to actually use, as previous attempts with other encryption tools had fallen short.
"With [another large cybersecurity provider]'s encrypted email, it was a pain, so people avoided using it," Hopen says. "You can have the best system in the world, but if it's not user-friendly, no one will use it."
Enter Virtru. After exploring various options, including Mimecast and native Microsoft solutions, Carnegie Hospital chose Virtru for its email encryption needs. The decision has proved to be transformative.
"Virtru has been the easiest to use with the least amount of trouble tickets," Hopen enthuses. In an environment where IT resources are stretched thin, this ease of use translates directly into significant time and cost savings. "It's one of those hidden costs that people don't always consider when evaluating a solution," Hopen notes, referring to the time spent managing and troubleshooting more complex systems.
But it's not just about ease of use for the IT team. Virtru's user-friendly interface ensures that hospital staff actually use the encryption tool, a crucial factor in maintaining HIPAA compliance. "People just want their email to work without complications," Hopen explains. Virtru's seamless integration with their existing email system means staff can focus on patient care rather than wrestling with complicated security protocols.
The reliability of Virtru has been another key benefit. "I haven't had to mess with it in so long that I almost forgot about it," Hopen admits. "It's reliable, and it allows me to focus on other things without worrying about constant issues."
Hopen is quick to point out the value that Virtru provides, over the lowest cost options.
"If something works well and doesn't cause headaches, it's worth its weight in gold," he says. This philosophy of investing in quality solutions that require less maintenance has paid off for Carnegie Hospital, allowing their small IT team to manage effectively without being overwhelmed.
Perhaps most importantly, Virtru aligns with the natural behavior of healthcare workers. Rather than relying on strict policies that often go unfollowed, Virtru provides automatic encryption that works in the background.
"Even though EHR systems have built-in messaging or encryption features, people still revert to email because it's familiar," Hopen explains. Virtru ensures that even when staff default to email for sensitive communications, the information remains protected.
Looking to the future, Carnegie Hospital is exploring further integration of Virtru with other systems, such as multifunction printers, to enhance security in document scanning and faxing processes. This forward-thinking approach demonstrates their commitment to comprehensive data protection.
For small, critical access hospitals like Carnegie, Virtru has proven to be more than just an email encryption tool. It's a partner in their mission to provide quality healthcare while maintaining the highest standards of data security. By choosing a solution that prioritizes user behavior and minimizes IT overhead, Carnegie Hospital has found a way to navigate the complex world of healthcare data protection without sacrificing efficiency or patient care.
In an industry where every minute and every dollar counts, Virtru has given Carnegie Hospital something invaluable: peace of mind. As Hopen puts it, "It's one less thing to worry about, and it gives us peace of mind knowing that our data is secure." For a small hospital with a big mission, that peace of mind is truly priceless.
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