AWS + Healthcare: 3 Ways Amazon Conquers Compliance

If you’re in healthcare and wavering on moving to cloud operations, listen to this. HUGE companies like Merck have moved to Amazon Web Services and Cloud, used and loved their operations for several years. Fear not, because you can enjoy the increasing and expanding benefits of the Cloud, too.

One of the many reasons [excuses] big businesses, including healthcare, claim to be avoiding cloud operations is because of the fear of compliance. At AWS re: Invent (Amazon Web Services summit in Las Vegas which we sponsored last week), we spent some time at the Compliance Summit, replete with fully integrated companies there to debunk exactly that misconception. Throughout the conference, highly regulated sectors spoke about how they are using cloud hosting and AWS to not only streamline their businesses and grow them, but increase their level of compliance with government and industry rules. The resounding answer is: you too can be compliant! HIPPA, PHI, and all. We’re sold, and here’s why you should be too:

1. Amazon is highly aware of the misconception that security is a risk on the cloud (hence why there were many talks code by code on how to ensure you are secure). AWS is there to HELP! Documentation, training, and helpful hands ensure that your migration and security is top notch.
2. For companies that have already made the leap, such as Merck, it’s no longer about convincing themselves that they need to migrate but “how to apply their policies and procedures to a new innovative IT supplier,” says Merck’s IT. But the truth is that it’s no riskier or safer than traditional hosting. Things have changed and we have to adapt, there is no magical answer. But the benefits of cloud outweigh the risks of not adapting your strategies to fit the cloud.
3. We heard success stories about companies moving to the cloud throughout the conference, and almost all of them said that it was a great opportunity to assess their whole server systems. The team at Sparta Systems spoke about automating their processes as they switched to cloud. That meant that they could prepare for systematized audits and avoid costly and inefficient pen and paper auditing.

Compliance is king in healthcare and many other industries. BUT that means if you take the time to do it right (using the cloud and AWS) you can build systems that will be air-tight and LAST. You can’t add compliance at the end. The strategy should be build around security and compliance from the ground up, and when you are able to do that using the cloud – your strategies (and jobs) will be more secure for years to come.