Hospitals Investing in Safe Environments for Data Centers
Hospitals must protect patient information to comply with HIPAA requirements. Investing in a data-rated fireproof server vault to protect mission critical IT equipment which hosts this patient information is an economical way to comply with the information preservation component of HIPAA. Saving patient information may protect healthcare organizations from litigation, and more importantly, could help save lives.
Kutztown, PA (PRWEB) August 1, 2010
The federal government’s push to get all medical records converted to or originated in digital format is one initiative that makes sense. The initial investment in the equipment and training required to make this transition will quickly be recovered with the improved efficiency electronic record systems can provide. Once users are up to speed, the ability to quickly and efficiently transfer medical records to the appropriate healthcare providers will reduce costs and improve the quality of care.
Protecting all of these new and existing medical records is the challenge that healthcare organizations must face. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates that all medical records must be preserved and kept confidential. Preserving the integrity of electronic records is where FIRELOCK® comes into the picture. The IT equipment that stores these medical records must be in a fireproof chamber to ensure the survival of these mission critical medical records. A proper climate for the storage arrays and servers must also be provided so there is no downtime due to overheating or other enviromental problems. That is why FIRELOCK® has insulated assemblies for both split and ducted-air HVAC systems. All data and power cable penetrations into the vault are also insulated for both heat and fire protection. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so every component of FIRELOCK® vaults (http://www. servervaulting. com/components. asp) meets the stringent Class 125 rating (http://www. servervaulting. com/about. asp). This rating means the interior temperature must remain below 125-degrees F. for the duration of the rating (from two to four hours, depending upon the size of the vault) even if the exterior temperature reaches 2,000-degrees F. According to Todd Smith, FIRELOCK's Director of Marketing: "Investing in a data-rated server vault is one of the most economical risk mitigation methods available to any healthcare organization. In short--it's cheap insurance."
One of the critical data sources hospitals must protect is the Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) for digital X-Rays. When a patient visits a PACS-equipped medical facility the digital X-Rays are electronically stored in the hospital’s server vault, where they can be utilized by physicians and other caregivers that have access to the secure network. These digital X-Rays generate large volumes of critical patient information and all of it must be must be protected in accordance with HIPAA requirements. Non-compliance with HIPAA is one issue, but even more important is the potential threat to the health of the patients in the hospital’s care. Many illnesses require the comparison of X-Rays (and other diagnostic tool images) over time to monitor the progression or regression of the patient’s affliction. Losing the archived images could have serious consequences for the health of the patient, and subsequently have major repercussions for the healthcare provider.
One thing is certain—we live in a very litigious society. Malpractice suits cost the healthcare industry billions of dollars each year, and HIPAA mandates add to that litigation risk. Utilizing a tested and certified secure environment to protect mission critical information and IT equipment is one way to mitigate that risk.
About FIRELOCK®
FIRELOCK® provides custom design expertise and manufactures and installs modular server vaults and record storage vaults in a variety of sizes, from small rooms up to 25,000 cu. ft. These vaults are designed to provide U. L. Class 125 fire protection, along with environmental controls for your critical or vital information assets. Lightweight, expandable panel systems are available to construct fire-safe and heat-safe vaults for the protection of IT infrastructure, magnetic media, micrographic media, and optical disks. The FIRELOCK® vault is the highest rated fire protection storage environment for heat-sensitive processing equipment and computer media available in the industry. Our client list includes service organizations of all types and sizes from diverse industries, ranging from hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, to major financial houses and state and local government agencies. Information about FIRELOCK® is available at www. servervaults. com
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