In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare technology, telecommunications plays a crucial role. As healthcare providers increasingly rely on digital solutions—from telemedicine to electronic health records—telecom companies are finding new opportunities and challenges in this sector. Successfully implementing telecom projects in healthcare requires a nuanced understanding of the industry’s legacy communications infrastructure, unique demands and pain points, such as cybersecurity, system integration, and reliable communication channels. Where should telecom professionals strategize to ensure telecom project success in healthcare?

In the context of burgeoning telecom projects within the healthcare sector, understanding how advanced connectivity and security solutions are being leveraged, and what problems they’re solving for healthcare organizations, is crucial. For example, the increasing cyber threats to healthcare systems are top of mind for healthcare organizations; the necessity for robust cybersecurity measures is more important than ever, guiding many specific IT department investments or tangential decision-making around telecom projects. Other innovative technology, like the implementation of Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) over traditional Wi-Fi in healthcare settings points to a broader embrace towards more reliable communication systems, which are essential for critical operations.

Ensuring telecom project success in healthcare, and for a healthcare client, involves more than just technical expertise; it demands a deep listening ability to identify and address specific needs. It also comes down to working with the right players at the healthcare organization, who can best capture the client’s needs and critical concerns. Ben Elkins, a 20+ year telecom executive, rural broadband strategist, and CEO of AireBeam, shares his experience and strategy for how to implement a plan of action that leads to telecom project success in healthcare.

“It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about going to Cigna, Humana, or a regional hospital, we have to identify who is it that we want to talk to that’s actually that decision maker. Sometimes in this industry, it’s the controller. Sometimes it may be the CFO, but more times than not, it’s your IT director,” Elkins said.

Article written by Daniel Litwin.