3 Healthcare IT Leaders Reflect on Their Cloud Journeys So Far

It’s no secret that cloud adoption continues to grow in healthcare, evolving from a nice-to-have feature to an essential part of operations for at least 80% of organizations.

In covering this shift over the years, HealthTech has spoken with numerous healthcare IT executives about the cloud’s impact on everything from data management and processing to supporting innovative patient services. One major theme we’ve uncovered is that moving to the cloud successfully rarely happens overnight, but instead typically requires a well-developed strategy.

With that in mind, we’ve reached out to leaders from three health systems we featured in previous stories to get an update on their cloud initiatives: Michael Archuleta, CIO at Colorado’s Mt. San Rafael Hospital; Chris Panagiotopoulos, CTO at Maryland-based LifeBridge Health; and Mihailo Kaplarevic, chief research information officer at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.

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HEALTHTECH: Can you bring us up to date on your organization’s use of the cloud today? Where does cloud adoption stand on your list of technology priorities?

ARCHULETA: Cloud adoption has progressed from a priority to a core enabler of our operational strategy at Mt. San Rafael. We view the cloud not as an optional add-on but as an integrated foundation for agile, secure and data-driven healthcare. It has allowed us to optimize resource management and deliver rapid scalability across critical applications, and it supports our vision of transforming healthcare IT into a dynamic, adaptive digital environment, ensuring our systems are ready for both present demands and future growth.

PANAGIOTOPOULOS: If there was a way I could put everything in the cloud and manage my costs, I would seriously consider that, but we know that’s not the reality today. We’re continuing to move to the cloud when doing so fits our business needs, but ultimately, any solution has to meet our standards, and it has to perform well.

KAPLAREVIC: We were a solid cloud user two years ago, and we’re even more so today. Pretty much every aspect of our cloud footprint grew significantly over the past 24 months. The major difference between now and then is the people we’ve brought onboard who have the means to utilize cloud technology. We have much better informational services support, and we’ve ramped up IT security. We also have a new office that’s in charge of enterprise applications, and we have another group that’s focused on data analytics and generative artificial intelligence.

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HEALTHTECH: How are your cloud initiatives helping your organization achieve its mission?

ARCHULETA: Our Nutanix HCI deployment has centralized our data resources, making them accessible and flexible. We can virtualize key functions such as patient data access, clinical analytics and secure collaboration. This consolidation has helped reduce infrastructure complexity, minimize hardware dependency and optimize application uptime. Nutanix Cloud Enterprise integrated within this environment empowers our team to orchestrate workloads with precision, whether for on-premises operations or extending into a hybrid cloud model. As a result, our clinicians can access data instantly, elevating patient care and ensuring continuity across care settings.

PANAGIOTOPOULOS: One example is our use of Palantir, which leverages Amazon Web Services to analyze our data and improve our workflows. We’re also completely in Office 365 and Microsoft Azure, and we’re using a cloud solution for our telehealth services, which have expanded significantly over the past couple of years.

KAPLAREVIC: In pediatric healthcare and clinical research, the integration of cloud-based technologies holds immense potential for improving accessibility, efficiency and personalized care for children. We are fortunate to have AWS as a strategic partner, with a recent $1 million investment supporting several key research initiatives. Additionally, we collaborate with Microsoft Azure for data analytics and administrative functions, further enhancing our technological infrastructure. Overall, cloud adoption has allowed us to make significant advancements, expanding our capabilities and driving innovation in pediatric care and research.

HEALTHTECH: Can you describe your cloud strategy and your approach to adopting new cloud-based technologies?

ARCHULETA: Our cloud strategy is intentional and built on a few key pillars: cybersecurity, efficiency and scalability. With Nutanix as a backbone, we approach each new cloud solution with a focus on interoperability, data protection and cost-efficiency. The decision to adopt new technology is guided by its ability to enhance patient care, increase workforce productivity and streamline operations. Most importantly, we look for solutions that align with our hyper-converged setup to drive operational consistency and reduce the risk of disruption as we expand our capabilities.

PANAGIOTOPOULOS: We started out around 10 years ago when we moved our Cerner platform to their private cloud. Today, we try to find a balance between the costs of any cloud solution and the business case for adoption. We want to position ourselves to be nimble and flexible, and that’s led us to a hybrid cloud strategy. In some cases, such as with Microsoft Azure, we partner with enterprise vendors, but we also have instances where we’re self-managing in the cloud, and we have our own internal LifeBridge Cloud.

KAPLAREVIC: Our greatest asset is our team of experts, who ensure that any new solution aligns with our mission as a pediatric healthcare and clinical research organization. When adopting cloud technologies, it is essential to prioritize IT security and patient safety. It’s not just about enhancing efficiency — it’s about safeguarding the integrity of our systems and the well-being of those we serve.

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HEALTHTECH: How has cloud adoption set your organization up for leveraging new and emerging technologies?

ARCHULETA: Our cloud-first approach has created a robust framework that enables us to adopt and integrate new technologies such as AI with ease. We’re leveraging AI to drive predictive analytics, optimize treatment pathways and even assist in clinical decision-making. This is possible because of the flexibility and high-performance capabilities of our virtualized environment, which allows for seamless integration and scalability of data-intensive AI applications. The cloud gives us the adaptability to deploy advanced technologies without interrupting ongoing operations.

PANAGIOTOPOULOS: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we’d already rolled out our cloud-based telehealth solution to all of our providers, but we were using it primarily internally for videoconferencing between clinicians at different facilities. That obviously put us in a very good position when, all of a sudden, we were seeing 5,000 to 10,000 patients via telehealth each month. When it comes to AI, it’s kind of the Wild West out there now, so we’re taking a very slow and methodical approach to evaluating vendors and their products. They have to prove to us that they can take our data and put it in their cloud and give us the benefits that we’re looking for. One success we’ve had in that regard is Aidoc, a cloud solution that reviews and prioritizes radiology images for our clinicians.

KAPLAREVIC: We recently collaborated with the Azure team to explore four high-impact use cases for generative AI, identifying them as strong candidates for innovation. Through a dedicated workshop, we developed several prototypes as a proof of concept, demonstrating their potential. While some of these tools are designed for administrative efficiency, others have a direct impact on patient care, including diagnostics, reporting and data analysis. Simultaneously, we are conducting generative AI exercises and prototype development in AWS. One example is our use of cloud and AI technologies to create a “smart” FAQ system for our internal research website. This tool allows users to quickly and effortlessly access information relevant to their computational or administrative needs, eliminating hours spent searching through documents and files. When you consider the impact of having such a tool readily available, the possibilities are truly transformative.

HEALTHTECH: Is there anything else about your cloud journey that you want to share with our readers?

ARCHULETA: At the end of the day, hospitals are digital companies that deliver healthcare services. For just about anything we’re trying to accomplish, it makes sense for us to move away from the data center business and into a cloud-based model.

PANAGIOTOPOULOS: To anyone who’s considering the cloud, my advice would be to take small, incremental steps. Work with trusted partners and consider taking a hybrid approach so you don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

KAPLAREVIC: The convergence of cloud computing and generative AI marks a technological breakthrough poised to revolutionize healthcare in ways we have only begun to imagine. From patient outcomes and safety to IT security, data storage and advanced analytics, every facet of clinical care and research is on the brink of a profound transformation. The potential impact is truly unprecedented, reshaping the future of medicine and healthcare innovation.