Hybrid Cloud Strategy & Implementation for Healthcare

The Challenge

A large healthcare provider needed to modernize its IT infrastructure to improve efficiency and reduce costs, while strictly adhering to stringent healthcare data privacy regulations (like HIPAA). They required a solution that could leverage cloud scalability for non-sensitive data and applications, while keeping highly sensitive patient data securely on-premise or in a private cloud.

Our Approach

YukthiX Consulting developed and implemented a robust hybrid cloud strategy tailored for the healthcare sector:

1. Compliance-First Assessment: Conducted a thorough assessment of data types, application dependencies, and compliance requirements (HIPAA, HITECH) to determine the optimal hybrid cloud architecture.
2. Architecture Design: Designed a hybrid cloud environment using a combination of Azure Public Cloud for general applications and a secure on-premise private cloud for Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Protected Health Information (PHI).
3. Secure Connectivity: Established secure and reliable network connectivity between the on-premise data center and Azure using Azure ExpressRoute and VPNs.
4. Data Governance & Security: Implemented advanced data encryption, access controls, and data loss prevention (DLP) policies across both environments. Utilized Azure Security Center and Sentinel for unified threat management and compliance monitoring.
5. Application Migration: Migrated non-PHI related applications and development/testing environments to Azure, optimizing them for cloud performance and scalability.
6. Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity: Designed and implemented robust disaster recovery solutions, including automated backups and failover mechanisms across the hybrid infrastructure.

The Solution

The hybrid cloud solution provided the healthcare provider with:

• A compliant and secure environment for all data, with sensitive data isolated.
• Increased scalability and flexibility for IT operations.
• Reduced operational costs for non-critical workloads.
• Enhanced disaster recovery capabilities.

Results & Benefits

The client achieved a 35% reduction in overall IT infrastructure costs by leveraging the scalability and cost-efficiency of the public cloud for appropriate workloads, while maintaining stringent compliance for sensitive data. The hybrid model provided greater operational flexibility and significantly enhanced their disaster recovery posture, positioning them for future growth in a highly regulated industry.