Health Systems Need a Reliable Network To Deliver Quality Care

Networking Roadblocks for Smaller and Rural Hospitals

At 7 a.m., when day shift nurses log in simultaneously across all units, the network slows to a crawl. Electronic health record (EHR) logins that normally take 10 seconds now take 45. Multiply that by 200 nurses starting their shifts, and you've lost two hours of cumulative nursing time before the day even begins. Meanwhile, physicians waiting to round are stuck at workstations, and patient care gets delayed.

Health systems with even fewer IT resources than their massive, multistate counterparts are dealing with what I call “the STP issue,” or “the same two people.” That means their small IT departments are probably run by team members who need to wear multiple hats.

But with increasing demands on networks and on technology to do clinical work, there can be bandwidth limitations, especially during peak hours, and added pressures.

READ MORE: Why should healthcare organizations undergo a networking health check?

Then, there’s the issue of aging infrastructure. These organizations may have switches and access points that have been stretched past their refresh point and have become unaddressed technical debt.

There may also be a lack of redundancies: Having a single point of failure is a vulnerability, and with a lack of density, there are gaps that mean less uniform connectivity. Poor network segmentation is another common issue that hampers security and can cause ire for patients who cannot enjoy a public-facing Wi-Fi service because of a flat network.

With advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, networking expectations are evolving. The need for the free flow of data, including access to medical imaging and genomics, for example, may require a lot more bandwidth. And if organizations are migrating their imaging capabilities to the cloud, they will need more robust networks.

Why Network Modernization Is a Security Imperative

Network vulnerabilities don't just slow down operations, they create entry points for cybercriminals. Healthcare has become the most-targeted industry for cyberattacks, and outdated network infrastructure makes hospitals even more vulnerable.

The consequences are severe and increasingly common. In February 2024, the ransomware attack on Change Healthcare disrupted operations at healthcare facilities nationwide for weeks, affecting prescription processing, billing systems and patient care coordination. The attackers demanded $22 million, but the total cost will likely reach billions when accounting for the ripple effects across the industry.

Smaller hospitals face particular risk. Aging switches and access points often lack modern security features such as encrypted communications and automated threat detection. Flat network architecture – where all devices share the same network segment – means a breach in one area can quickly spread throughout the entire system. A compromised smart infusion pump or imaging device becomes a gateway to EHRs and billing systems.

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Modern network design includes security by default. Network segmentation isolates clinical systems from administrative ones and guest Wi-Fi from patient care devices. This containment strategy limits damage if a breach occurs. Zero-trust architecture requires continuous verification rather than assuming devices inside the network perimeter are safe. Advanced threat detection monitors traffic patterns and flags anomalies before they become full-blown incidents.

The financial exposure is substantial. The average healthcare data breach now costs around $7.42 million, and HIPAA violations can result in fines up to $50,000 per incident. But the reputational damage may be even costlier. Patients who learn their personal health information was compromised often take their care elsewhere, and negative publicity spreads quickly in tight-knit communities where smaller hospitals operate.

Network modernization shouldn’t be viewed as just an operational upgrade; it’s a critical security investment that protects patient data, ensures regulatory compliance and preserves the trust that keeps a hospital viable.

A Holistic Approach That Supports Outcomes

It’s not enough for organizations to throw money around to increase their bandwidth at the ingress. It’s also not enough to adopt consumer-grade gear as a stopgap measure, as that could introduce more cybersecurity risk. Health systems need to approach networking upgrades in a disciplined way and consider the larger picture.

While increased regulatory and compliance pressures can work as an argument to C-suite leaders, it will be useful to talk about networking modernization from the perspective of patient safety and workflow improvements. Highlight its business impact rather than its technical one for leadership buy-in. Discuss it as risk mitigation, not the purchasing of new gear.

If you can quantify it, even better. For instance, what would it cost the hospital per minute per bed if there was a network outage? What happens when monitoring data is lost? What happens when it takes a clinician 45 to 50 seconds longer to log in to the EHR system with an unreliable network? What if we could reduce help desk calls related to connectivity issues by 10%? These could also be measures of success for an upgrade.

EXPLORE: How does a network assessment support healthcare modernization?

This is why interdisciplinary collaboration and communication are crucial. Having a clinical champion will convey the message effectively to leadership and peers: They’re at the bedside, relying on the network for patient care, so they’ll know best what works and what doesn’t. They can share, for example, if the network is slow within the hospital, that increases their pajama time, so they’re stuck with more work to finish after hours at home.

Network infrastructure may be invisible when it works, but its impact on patient care, operational efficiency and security is undeniable. For smaller and rural hospitals, modernization isn’t just about faster speeds or newer equipment, it’s about ensuring nurses can access critical information at the bedside, protecting patient data from increasingly sophisticated threats and building resilience into every aspect of care delivery. The path forward requires shifting the conversation from technical specifications to tangible outcomes: fewer disrupted workflows, reduced security risks and, ultimately, better patient experiences. When you frame network upgrades as investments in patient safety rather than as IT expenses, when you quantify the cost of inaction rather than just the price of new gear and when you bring clinical champions to the table alongside IT leaders, you create the foundation for meaningful change. The question isn’t whether your organization can afford to modernize its network; it’s whether you can afford not to when every minute of downtime, every security vulnerability, and every frustrated clinician represents a threat to the mission of delivering quality care.

When your organization decides that it’s ready to work with a partner for its networking modernization project, find a team with healthcare experience as well. Choose a partner that understands healthcare’s networking needs and its impact on clinical and business operations.  This will help ensure you can avoid those dreaded 2 a.m. calls about why the entire third floor just went offline and spend less time explaining to your CEO why patients are complaining about Wi-Fi in their Press Ganey surveys.

This article is part of HealthTech’s MonITor blog series.