Becker's Hospital Review

45 Executive Briefing security leaders are grappling with what resilience means from a physical protection perspective. The Internet of Things can expand the reach of healthcare security teams Historically, health systems have responded in real time to safety-related events using a people-centric approach. As Mr. Chetwynd noted, "If there is a security incident, we send security guards. If there is a health emergency, we send clinicians to respond. I think a real opportunity moving forward is to leverage the Internet of Things. With hyperautomation, we can integrate people, digital systems and physical systems to respond to emergencies." A fire in a hospital building is a simple example that illustrates the power of hyper-automation. In this situation, the fire department would respond and the on-site emergency management team would coordinate activities. At the same time, building-wide systems could respond automatically by closing fire doors, reversing the HVAC airflow and turning off oxygen tanks. If the fire is located near a data center, information flows might be rerouted from an IT infrastructure perspective. IoT systems also offer great opportunities for improving the safety of distributed care. There are a number of IoT- enabled solutions that can extend clinical and acute care capabilities into the home setting and then tie information back into remote monitoring systems at the hospital. "IoT is definitely something that most hospital leaders are looking at," Mr. Chetwynd said. " Given the diversity and complexity of critical events that happen on a daily basis, healthcare systems need to provide an expedited response, reduce personal interaction and increase the span of teams to provide protective care." Technology is foundational for healthcare resilience, but cybersecurity and infrastructure issues must not be overlooked As health systems implement IoT systems to promote patient, visitor and employee well-being, teams need to consider cyber risk. According to Mr. Chetwynd, "As organizations think about strengthening their facility infrastructures and their distributed infrastructures, they need to give a lot of thought to cyber risk. This is particularly critical now that home networks are becoming a part of the healthcare IT infrastructure." IT infrastructure is also an important consideration when building new healthcare facilities. Organizations must design technology systems that are adaptable and resilient. "Several of our clients are expanding their health systems and building new towers," Mr. Chetwynd said. "They are thinking about which technologies are the right ones and what those choices mean from an IT and physical infrastructure standpoint." Many tools are now coming to the market that can enable a better patient experience, greater flexibility and improved responsiveness to employee needs. For example, leading healthcare IT teams are exploring new technologies like low-energy Bluetooth, as well as new access points from a Wi-Fi or IP perspective. Conclusion In the coming months, most health systems will be taking a broader view of risk to include everyone who is getting and receiving care. "We are starting to see organizations think beyond the traditional space," Mr. Chetwynd said. "I think that will be key for healthcare organizations as they figure out how to adapt and flex in response to trends like distributed care models and more restricted brick and mortar campuses." n Everbridge, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVBG) is a global software company that provides enterprise software applications that automate and accelerate organizations' operational response to critical events in order to Keep People Safe and Organizations Running™. During public safety threats such as active shooter situations, terrorist attacks or severe weather conditions, as well as critical business events including IT outages, cyberattacks or other incidents such as product recalls or supply-chain interruptions, over 5,700 global customers rely on the Company's Critical Event Management Platform to quickly and reliably aggregate and assess threat data, locate people at risk and responders able to assist, automate the execution of pre-defined communications processes through the secure delivery to over 100 different communication modalities, and track progress on executing response plans. Everbridge serves 8 of the 10 largest U.S. cities, 9 of the 10 largest U.S.-based investment banks, 47 of the 50 busiest North American airports, 9 of the 10 largest global consulting firms, 8 of the 10 largest global automakers, 9 of the 10 largest U.S.-based health care providers, and 7 of the 10 largest technology companies in the world. Everbridge is based in Boston with additional offices in 20 cities around the globe. For more information visit https://www.everbridge.com. "We are starting to see organizations think beyond the traditional space. I think that will be key for healthcare organizations as they figure out how to adapt and flex in response to trends like distributed care models and more restricted brick and mortar campuses." Eric Chetwynd, General Manager of Healthcare Solutions, Everbridge

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