AWS Cloud Strategy for Accelerated Operations and Secure Infrastructure
How a leading Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) services provider scaled operations leveraging AWS cloud components such
as Control Tower and Landing Zone.
The Client Domain.
The client is a leading provider of performance and revenue cycle management (RCM) services to the healthcare industry. With a primary focus on enabling healthcare providers like hospitals, diagnostic centers, and laboratories, our client is a pioneer in revenue lifecycle management. They collaborate closely with their customers, sharing ownership of revenue challenges and goals, all aimed at achieving superior outcomes.
The Challenge.
Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) encompasses the financial management of a healthcare provider’s interactions with patients, spanning from the initial appointment or admission to the receipt of final payments from insurers, for services rendered. RCM involves various tasks, including billing, processing insurance claims, and efficiently managing payments, all designed to ensure the healthcare facility receives the revenue it rightfully deserves for the services it provides.
In their pursuit of business expansion, the client successfully acquired numerous healthcare service providers, and faced a challenge to quickly onboard the acquired employees introducing them to their proprietary RCM application. As the organization welcomed a growing number of new employees, they recognized the need to modernize their RCM application, ensuring seamless accessibility for all users, regardless of their location. The immediate priority was to establish a robust, secure access system for both application access and essential systems, ensuring that all newly onboarded employees have the requisite setup to effectively run the application and perform various tasks.
The Solution.
To overcome this challenge, , iPivot proposed to deploy the solution in cloud and designed an AWS infrastructure while adhering to a structured framework, which included AWS Control Tower, AWS Landing Zone and AWS WorkSpaces. This challenging task entailed harnessing a range of tools, techniques, and robust security frameworks to construct a well-organized cloud-based environment.
As an integral component of the solution, iPivot established a multi-account AWS Landing Zone. The creation of the Landing Zone necessitated a combination of technical and strategic considerations, consisting of decisions related to account structure, networking, security, and access management. These decisions were carefully aligned with the client’s long-term business objectives. The result was a secure and scalable Landing Zone, set up by iPivot, enabling the client to swiftly initiate and deploy workloads and applications. To implement the Landing Zone, iPivot leveraged AWS Control Tower, a managed service to set up and govern new, secure, multi-account AWS environments in accordance with best practices.
To establish the foundational infrastructure, iPivot configured an AWS environment tailored to enable the rapid provisioning of WorkSpaces, ensuring secure access for employees to the cloud-based RCM application. The solution was designed to optimize workspace utilization, enabling users to initiate WorkSpaces as needed while strengthening security measures to restrict access exclusively to authorized personnel. The entire infrastructure was orchestrated through AWS Landing Zones, serving as the comprehensive framework to support all operational requirements of the client.
Other highlights of the solution include:
- Monitoring and Alerts:
Implementation of alerts, guardrails, and CloudWatch alarms to proactively monitor WorkSpace performance, and ensure operational efficiency. - Rapid WorkSpace Provisioning:
Ability to swiftly create additional WorkSpaces using pre-configured Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) in response to any potential issues, minimizing downtime. - Multi-Factor Authentication:
Integration of a third party authentication tool with Microsoft Active Directory to beef up security through multi-factor authentication, enhancing access control. - Regional Deployment:
Deployment of the AWS Control Center by region, aligning with the geographical location of customer data to comply with data residency requirements. - Region-Specific Access:
Restricting WorkSpace access to regions where the client operates, ensuring data sovereignty and regulatory compliance. - Guardrail Framework:
Implementation of 32 preventive guardrails to enforce policies and 30 detective guardrails to identify violations, maintaining a secure and compliant environment. - Authentication Integration:
WorkSpace authentication mechanism seamlessly integrated with the client’s on-premises Active Directory for streamlined user access. - Dedicated VPC:
Establishment of a separate Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) for WorkSpace deployment, allowing for the precise configuration of governance and security guardrails. - Centralized Governance:
Providing a centralized hub for establishing and enforcing governance policies across AWS accounts to maintain control and visibility over healthcare data and resources.
Key Products/Services Used.
The Impact.
Implementing the AWS Control Tower and AWS Landing Zone offered the client a number of advantages, including:
Scalability Excellence:
Seamlessly scaled WorkSpaces from an initial requirement of 140 to an impressive 1,000, facilitating rapid adaptation as the client acquired additional businesses within the same sector.
Streamlined WorkSpace Deployment
Expedited the setup of WorkSpaces for remote employees, enhancing efficiency and reducing overheads through the use of AWS Landing Zone.
Cost and Time Savings
Realized substantial cost and time savings, optimizing resource utilization to achieve efficient operations – a testament to the solution’s economic advantages.
Robust Security and Compliance
Established a solid, secure, and compliant foundation for healthcare operations, adhering to best practices and safeguarding sensitive patient data in accordance with legal requirements.
Seamless Infrastructure Scaling
Enabled effortless infrastructure scaling to accommodate expanding data volumes and processing demands in the revenue cycle management process.
Conclusion
The client’s collaboration with iPivot enabled them to run their operations on a resilient and highly available infrastructure, which is critical for healthcare providers where downtime can have significant consequences. The AWS infrastructure set up by iPivot equips the client with a comprehensive suite of tools and features for disaster recovery planning and execution.
The expansive network of AWS data centers and iPivot’s engineering capabilities enabled the client to extend their operations across diverse locations, allowing them to reach and serve healthcare providers in various regions with unwavering availability. Moreover, the solution provides effective resource lifecycle management, enabling the client to efficiently decommission unused resources. This not only optimizes operational costs but also mitigates the risks associated with dormant resources, reflecting a prudent and cost-effective approach.
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