The healthcare industry changes often and quickly. The technology industry does, too; in fact, it may change more quickly than healthcare. While there are plenty of areas between these two industries that don’t overlap, there are also many areas that do. Whether you’re in charge of a small family clinic in Santa Rosa or are working at a major medical center, you’re going to be using technology in some form. That technology must be secure in order to meet privacy requirements, especially when it comes to patient information.
That said, you’re going to want to use effective technology that meets your needs, which means balancing finances, functionality, and HIPAA regulations. Fortunately, Common Sense Business Solutions understands all of these needs and can help you find the right multi-function printer (MFP) for you. In many cases, leasing a Konica Minolta MFP is the ideal solutions. Let’s take a look at what these machines do, why you need specific functionality as a healthcare provider, and what leasing can do for you.
Regulatory Compliance: HIPAA and Data Security
In a doctor’s office, hospital, or other healthcare setting, your office printer isn’t just a tool. It’s an entry point to your office network. This means that Protected Health Information or PHI travel to and potentially from your multi-function device. Per HIPAA regulations, this means that your printer has to be secure. That’s not an option: failure to secure the data your printer receives can lead to fines and other consequences.
This is where technology such as the Konica Minolta bizhub i-Series comes in. These MFPs make use of the latest in peripheral security. Your data will be secured in the printer’s vault, ensuring no one can simply walk up and take it.
There are a few different ways the i-Series protects your information:
- Installed Antivirus – All incoming and outgoing data is automatically scanned to keep out malware, ransomware, and other viruses.
- Hard Drive Encryption – The MFP’s hard drive is automatically encrypted, securing any data sent to or from the device.
- Secure Print Release – Documents sent to the printer don’t automatically print. Instead, you have to enter a code to release the print job. No one can simply walk up to the printer and take printed documents.
One of the biggest benefits of leasing is that you aren’t using hardware that is out of date or that is reaching the end of its life cycle. When new security patches or encryption standards that require new hardware are released, we work with you to upgrade your leased equipment to devices that can use these new updates.
Navigating the CCPA/CPRA in a Medical Context
Nearly everyone has heard of HIPAA and the national protections it provides, but few outside of California have heard of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or its expansions, such as the 2023 California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). This means that patient data in California must comply with all of these regulations.
When you purchase a printer, do you do a full wipe on it when you get rid of it? If you don’t, it’s possible some of that data could be retrieved. This can result in a data breach, one you may never know about. Leasing ensures that everything stored on a machine, even temporarily, is deleted via certified processes guaranteed to remove all information.
Strategic Budgeting for Modern Healthcare Practices
In the past, many businesses took a “buy once, use it until it breaks and can’t be fixed” approach to printers, copiers, and other devices. But there is a financial risk to this. Beyond the issue of working with outdated technology, you have to worry about that technology falling into non-compliance. If that happens, you’re facing fines in addition to the cost of repairing and maintaining devices that are years old.
With leasing, you don’t have those concerns. You don’t have to worry about your IT team figuring out how to make your old Konica Minolta MFP work with the latest version of Windows or hunt down a vendor that still carries replacement parts. You also don’t have to worry about budgeting for these types of capital expenses. Instead, your MFP becomes an operational expense.
Why does that matter? There are a few reasons why operational expenses are preferred to capital expenses in this case:
- Keep your capital budget available for purchasing emergency equipment, making facility repairs/upgrades, or expanding your staff.
- You may be able to make use of better tax advantages; in many cases, your lease payments can be deducted as an expense, giving you more immediate tax benefits.
- With a maintenance agreement included in your lease, there’s no risk of unexpected repair bills. All of your costs, including repairs and regular maintenance, are included.
Workflow Optimization and EMR Integration
As much as we would love to say that modern healthcare revolves around people, the truth is that much of it is centered around data. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing – without the right data, healthcare experts don’t know how to diagnose and treat patients. However, one issue is that this data is often left on paper. With a Konica Minolta bizhub, transferring written logs to a person’s electronic medical record (EMR) is quite simple.
This data is also kept secure. Konica Minolta features some of the strongest data encryption on the market. With one touch, your team can securely scan a patient’s information, forms, and other paperwork, sending it straight to their records. This helps reduce misinformation and keep everyone up to date on a persons medications, care plan, and recovery status.
Automating these little tasks helps care providers focus on taking care of their patients. If your staff doesn’t have to transfer all of their handwritten notes over to electronic documents, they’re saving time and reducing the risk of making errors.
Why Leasing is the Logical Choice for Long-Term Growth
Healthcare technology moves fast. Something that was once considered state of the art just a few years ago may now lack the processing power, resolution, or other capability to handle today’s needs. This includes security. If your printer isn’t capable of updating to the most resent security protocols, it’s no longer a useful piece of equipment. Instead, it’s a liability.
Leasing removes this issue and allows you to have evergreen office technology, You can simply rotate out your devices on a regular basis, bringing in the latest technology without worrying about the large upfront cost or any of the repair expenses.
If your practice grows at any point, we can scale your lease to include additional machines or larger machines that can meet your increased workload. This provides a level of agility that is vital to a growing practice.
The CSBS Advantage: Local Healthcare Expertise
Common Sense Business Solutions is more than just a leading company. We’re your local partner that healthcare practices need. Based in Sonoma County, we understand your unique local business needs, and we’re here to meet them.
We will work closely with you to determine which equipment is the right match for your actual print volume and other needs. Once we’ve found the right devices, we’ll deliver them, do all the necessary setup and training, and set a regular maintenance schedule.
Ready to Modernize Your Practice?
Managing your IT budget shouldn’t come down to a fight between the best equipment, patient security, or staff efficiency. By leasing a Konica Minolta multifunction device through CSBS, you can get everything you need and keep to your budget. Reach out today to learn more and discuss how your practice can benefit from leasing.
