The healthcare business’s heavy reliance on legacy programs, regulation and safety challenges makes the journey towards digital transformation a major hurdle. We noticed this through the COVID-19 pandemic as many massive healthcare programs scrambled to combine digital expertise at pace. Whereas many healthcare establishments had been caught off guard, Singapore Well being Companies (SingHealth), whose mission is “to outline tomorrow’s medication,” was poised to satisfy these challenges head on.
From cloud adoption to synthetic intelligence (AI), automation to the web of issues (IoT), IBM Consulting has been serving to SingHealth preserve the lights for twenty years. This partnership permits the general public healthcare cluster to stay agile and navigate ongoing adjustments in compliance and expertise. This implies they will give attention to what issues most: bettering workforce productiveness to ship higher affected person outcomes.
An evolving partnership
SingHealth was born out of a regrouping of Singapore’s public well being care system. Initiated by Singapore’s Ministry of Well being (MOH), the objective was to raised help an getting older inhabitants and handle persistent illnesses whereas addressing healthcare workforce and spending development. In the present day, SingHealth is the biggest of Singapore’s three public healthcare clusters offering first-class healthcare. Annually, greater than 3.8 million sufferers go to its 4 hospitals, three neighborhood hospitals, 5 specialty facilities and eight polyclinics.
In 2000, SingHealth’s longstanding relationship with IBM Consulting started with the design and integration of its healthcare data system. After this preliminary engagement, the IBM workforce turned well-versed in SingHealth’s distinctive necessities, corresponding to aligning their system to the Ministry of Well being’s course and sustaining compliance with statutory compliance.
HR digital transformation
In 2010, SingHealth wanted to consolidate its disparate HR programs throughout its hospitals, specialty facilities and polyclinics. SingHealth once more turned to IBM Consulting, together with SAP Asia Pacific Japan, to construct a single HR platform.
This method changed the siloed programs with a typical platform, facilitating higher collaboration among the many ten establishments concerned. It additionally standardized insurance policies on compensation and advantages, efficiency critiques and profession improvement all through the healthcare cluster. Following this standardization involving IBM Consulting the cluster received a number of HR awards together with the SingHealth Enterprise award for IBM’s dedication as a “Associate in Our Success.”
Shifting to the cloud securely
In 2016, SingHealth wanted a greater technique to retailer, handle and course of an ever-increasing quantity of healthcare-related knowledge. IBM Consulting facilitated the implementation and migration of their functions from bodily on-premise legacy to personal cloud programs.
By combining the advantages of cloud with the safety and management of on-premises IT infrastructure, this answer was capable of meet the Singapore Ministry of Well being’s stringent requirements for knowledge governance. It additionally supplied a essential layer of personal cloud safety to guard SingHealth’s IT system and its sufferers’ well being data from assaults, breaches and different threats.
In 2017, the Ministry of Well being launched yet one more reorganization of the general public well being system into three built-in regional clusters. Subsequently, IBM Consulting performed a key function within the merger of Singapore’s Japanese Well being Alliance (EHA), positioned within the nation’s jap area with SingHealth, guaranteeing a clean transition of the consolidation of functions throughout HR, finance, procurement and different essential areas.
Assembly COVID-19 challenges
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, SingHealth’s HR processes needed to be tailored to satisfy the necessities of the federal government’s COVID-19 healthcare technique. Right here, IBM Consulting labored to improve the cluster’s HR platform to course of functions from workers who wanted to take COVID-related depart.
Fulfilling statuary compliance and making steady enhancements
Constructing upon a basis of strict regulatory compliance is essential to a healthcare group’s status. IBM Consulting works with SingHealth to make sure the cluster complies with statutory and union necessities, and different mandates issued by the Ministry of Well being.
Via its utility administration companies, IBM Consulting continues to maintain SingHealth’s HR and IT programs up-to-date and in keeping with enterprise features. This permits the cluster’s frontline professionals to function effectively and productively.
Protecting the lights on
In the present day, SingHealth’s functions cater to 17 establishments with greater than 35,000 workers and are designed to scale and develop with the cluster.
IBM Consulting is proud to proceed serving to SingHealth preserve the lights on so the healthcare system can ship on its mission of defining tomorrow’s medication.
