Case studies across AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud

Advancing outcomes through the cloud:
3 real-world examples
of success  

The health IT landscape holds great possibilities for full-scale innovation. In this section, you will read about win stories that go beyond the ordinary, showcasing how visionary hospitals can overcome IT obstacles through the cloud. These challenges and their successes provide a look into the strategies and collaborations driving positive change in data insights, EHRs, and more.

Strategic phased migration: Unlocking long-term success in cloud analytics transformation

THE CHALLENGE

A large academic medical center in the Southern U.S. needed help with its migration to a cloud analytics platform. The absence of internal expertise in Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the intricacies of integrating legacy data, Epic data, and other business data prompted the necessity for a comprehensive, long-term implementation partnership.

THE WORK

The success of the migration project hinged on a three-phased partnership between the health system and Nordic, emphasizing continuous collaboration and a nuanced understanding of client requirements. The initial phases involved direct engagement with the client's analytics and research and development (R&D) teams, allowing for a clear definition of deliverables in a mutually understood language.

Building on the success of phase one and phase two, the collaboration transitioned into phase three. This phase combined both on-site and remote workshops that guided R&D sessions and empowered the client's research and data analytics development teams. Nordic consultants used the AWS cloud-native machine learning service to create an algorithm that allowed for data streaming and real-time analytics from diverse sources such as bedside devices, vital monitors, and cloud data lakes.

THE RESULTS

Nordic developed a successful AWS-based proof of concept to blend data between three sources: Oracle Health (formerly Cerner), a legacy on-premises data warehouse, and the upcoming Epic data. An efficient cloud architecture and metadata pipeline approach was designed for data ingestion and the extract, transform, and load process to AWS. This framework aligned with all the AWS Well-Architected principles best practices and the client’s cloud-defined security needs.

THE CONCLUSION

The strategic and phased migration undertaken by Nordic not only addressed immediate challenges but also positioned the health system for long-term success in its cloud analytics transformation. This case study exemplifies the power of a collaborative partnership, strategic planning, and adherence to industry best practices in achieving a seamless and secure transition to a cloud-based analytics platform. Nordic became one of the client’s top end-to-end solution partners, setting the standard for delivering next-generation technology modernization engagements.

…Nordic has been instrumental in helping our healthcare organization develop strategies for our cloud architecture, data warehouse migration, building an enterprise data lake, and setting the foundation for predictive model and machine learning…

Head of Data Analytics, Large Academic Medical Center

Enhancing data capabilities through
a strategic Azure migration

THE CHALLENGE

One of the largest health systems in the U.S., with over 40 hospitals and thousands of providers, created an innovative, advanced analytics platform on Azure that housed over 500TB of data from numerous on-premises databases. Once the Azure platform was up and running, the health system noticed key features like disaster recovery (DR) capabilities were missing. The design also relied too heavily on the enterprise IT team's internal process, which couldn't keep up with the agile cloud environment. These limitations were proving to be a roadblock for future plans, such as data modernization and monetization.

THE WORK

The health system decided to create a dedicated Azure tenant for the platform and needed a partner to help with the migration. The process involved a large platform from their enterprise Azure tenant into a new, platform-dedicated Azure tenant called Helix. Part of this migration included enhancements like adding DR capabilities, increasing the security posture by integrating multiple third-party security tools, and laying the foundational guardrails for the environment to meet HITRUST certification.

Through a process duration of over 25 weeks, plus three weeks of transition support, Nordic completed the following:

Created a net new Azure tenant for Helix, including an Azure Active Directory (AD) domain.
Lifted and shifted the Helix platform from existing tenant to new tenant.
Migrated data from existing tenant to new tenant.
Migrated users and coordinated a cutover.
Provided a "hyper-care" period to the Helix core team for a smooth transition.

THE RESULTS

The health system’s collaboration with Nordic resulted in the successful transformation of the Azure platform into Helix — a fortified, advanced analytics powerhouse. With the addition of DR capabilities, heightened security measures, and adherence to industry-leading certifications, the health system has a resilient and future-ready foundation for data-driven endeavors.

THE CONCLUSION

This win story underscores the strategic importance of a well-executed migration and enhancement strategy in realizing the full potential of healthcare data analytics in the Azure ecosystem.

Modernizing the longitudinal patient record through
Google Cloud

THE CHALLENGE

A top-ranked hospital located in the Midwestern U.S. needed a partner who could provide the expertise to successfully transition data from the Epic platform to a new cloud-based system. The hospital sought a partner to guide its longitudinal patient record project to transition EHR data to Google Cloud. This data would serve numerous internally developed applications.

THE WORK

Nordic collaborated with client leadership, procurement, and supply chain teams to provide above-and-beyond expertise in Epic, cloud services, and interoperability and application development over an initial six-month period. Specific work included successfully defining Epic data elements, assisting in modernizing Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR)-based tools to pull data in real-time, and supporting the client through issue resolution assistance while establishing the continuous feed of patient data to the new Google Cloud platform.

THE RESULTS

The orchestrated strategy delivered a cost-effective solution for the hospital's strategic IT program and fostered effective communication among the hospital, Epic, and Google teams. This collaborative approach not only bridged potential communication gaps but also laid the foundation for future innovations within the client's internal applications and support areas. The successful data transition to Google Cloud modernized its patient record management and positioned the hospital as a leader in leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance healthcare delivery.

THE CONCLUSION

As the healthcare IT landscape continues to evolve, this case study highlights the importance of selecting a partner with diverse expertise to navigate the intersection of EHR, cloud services, and application development successfully. The seamless transition of Epic data to Google Cloud meets immediate needs and paves the way for ongoing innovation and efficiency gains.