#United States #New Orleans #AWS #Epic #LCMC Health

LCMC Health Boosts Clinical Resilience with AWS Migration

In a major advancement for healthcare in Southern Louisiana, LCMC Health, a prominent nonprofit healthcare provider, has successfully transitioned its Epic™ Alternate Production environment to Amazon Web Services (AWS). This strategic migration, undertaken with the expertise of Sapphire Health, an AWS Partner, aims to bolster clinical resilience while ensuring that critical patient information remains accessible, even during system disruptions.

The new AWS-powered disaster recovery environment can be activated in less than 20 minutes, offering performance that matches or exceeds on-premises systems. By leveraging infrastructure-as-code methods using Terraform and Ansible, LCMC Health aims to achieve significant operational benefits and cost savings. According to David Singer, Chief Information Officer at LCMC Health, having adaptable solutions is crucial for addressing evolving healthcare needs. He stresses that extended system downtimes disrupt their mission to provide exceptional care. AWS cloud capabilities present a flexible solution that effectively addresses a range of disruption scenarios.

This migration project, which was completed in early spring 2024, included two successful disaster recovery activation tests, both executed within the 20-minute Recovery Time Objective. The anticipated financial advantages from this upgrade are substantial, with LCMC Health projected to save around $3.5 million over the next five years. These savings come along with potential reductions in costs associated with datacenter operations and software subscriptions.

Business Continuity and Security Enhancements

At LCMC Health, business continuity and security are strategic priorities. The newly established Alternate Production environment, in conjunction with the previously integrated Isolated Recovery Environment, provides robust safeguards against potential threats. Through AWS, LCMC Health has implemented a suite of security services, including Amazon Guard Duty and AWS Security Hub, fostering comprehensive monitoring and protection of their infrastructure.

David Gates, the Information Security Officer at LCMC Health, underscores the importance of this security implementation. He remarks that the infrastructure-as-code approach guarantees that every deployment adheres to the industry's best security practices by design, while the integration with AWS’s innate security services enhances visibility and control significantly.

Moving forward, LCMC Health plans to continue its collaboration with Sapphire Health to expand the array of AWS services utilized. This positions the organization well to rapidly adopt cutting-edge technologies aimed at enhancing patient care and operational efficiency.

About LCMC Health

Founded in New Orleans, LCMC Health is a nonprofit healthcare network that encompasses eight hospitals with a total of 1,826 inpatient beds, alongside 10 emergency rooms and 8 urgent care facilities distributed across Southern Louisiana. The organization staunchly focuses on delivering outstanding care for every individual in Louisiana, employing over 14,000 staff members, including 2,538 physicians and providers.

About Sapphire Health

Sapphire Health stands out as a leading technical services firm specializing in complex migrations and implementations for healthcare providers. Established in 2015, the company offers technical implementation and managed services for healthcare organizations operating electronic health record systems, particularly those powered by Epic™.

In conclusion, LCMC Health's shift to AWS not only reflects a commitment to enhancing clinical resilience but also portrays a future-ready approach to healthcare delivery. This pioneering initiative sets a precedent for other healthcare organizations looking to adapt to ongoing changes and challenges in the sector.