Business Challenges
The client supports 14 regional offices and 32 satellite offices in a multiple state region. IBS was tasked with reviewing an existing disaster recovery plan for the organization developed by a third party and either validate it or recommend changes.

It was the goal of the plan to have the company's mission critical systems consisting of its Physician Practice Management System (NextGen), EDI Insurance Claims and Capitation Billing Systems, TURNS A/R and A/P Systems, InfiniTime Time Keeping System and a variety of critical Reporting Systems up and running within 72 hours of a declared disaster.

Business challenges included:

• Review of an outdated and untested disaster recovery plan that did not include defined provisions for alternate site processing and was out of compliance with HIPAA requirements.
• Performance of a risk assessment of the physical site along with development of mitigation strategies for identified areas of concern.
• Identification of mission critical systems and development of a restoration process focusing on billing systems and patient scheduling because of their critical impacts to cash flow and patient safety.
• Review and revamping the organization's method of backing up, storing, recalling, and reloading back-up databases.
• Non-inclusion of numerous external partners and vendors in the process.
• An extensive LAN Network heavily relied upon by all 32 satellite offices of the practice.
• Limited IT professionals on staff.

IBS was selected to lead the project due to our DR/BCP consulting methods, subject matter expertise, ability to rapidly demonstrate understanding of the practice's business and technology challenges, and our ability to formulate practical and relevant solutions.

Services Provided by IBS

IBS provided a senior level professional with expertise in Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning, Management Consulting, Practice Specialty knowledge and Healthcare and Project Management expertise to review the existing plan and to lead the existing staff in developing a pragmatic approach to disaster recovery and business continuity taking into account the client's size and limitations.

Benefits to the Client

• Worked with the CFO and Executive Committee to develop both a short term and a long-term DR/BCP strategy for the practice.
• Performed a risk assessment of the client's physical facility identifying areas of concern and implementing mitigation strategies in order to remove areas of potential disaster concern.
• Working with the client's IT staff, identified all mission critical applications and developed workable methods for backing-up, storing and restoring critical applications and data files.
• Developed working relationships for disaster recovery purposes with key vendors, commercial and government payers and users.
• Identified and implemented roles of key internal as well as external individuals/organizations as resources for use in the execution of the plan.
• Developed a plan for a workable and affordable alternate site processing scenario in the event disaster recovery operations were required.
• Provided a formal report on all disaster recovery/business continuity related activities for the Executive Committee that satisfied the client's need for a pragmatic and workable DR/BC Plan.