Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare was one of the first health systems in the U.S. to implement Epic on a large scale on Mac platforms. This move, said Alistair Erskine, MD, chief information and digital officer at Emory allowed the health system to recover quickly from the CrowdStrike IT outage.
By the morning of July 22 following the global CrowdStrike IT outage, Emory had restored more than 90% to 95% of its systems. Dr. Erskine noted that approximately 200 staff members worked around the clock to address the issues, with each device taking between five to 10 minutes to fix.
"It was impressive to see the entire team come together, volunteering their time and working tirelessly," he told Becker's.
One key factor in Emory's successful recovery was its early adoption of Epic on Apple's macOS platform. Dr. Erskine explained that the switch to macOS-based devices played a crucial role in mitigating the outage's effects.
"The iPhones and MacBook Airs we had deployed were unaffected by the outage. This allowed our staff to continue using Epic seamlessly, as if nothing was happening," he said.
During the initial stages of the outage, Emory allocated 450 spare MacBook Airs to critical areas like infusion centers and ICUs, which proved invaluable.
The situation underscored the benefits of diversifying operating systems, according to Dr. Erskine. He also said that Sandy Springs, Ga.-based St. Joseph's Hospital, which also uses Mac systems extensively, experienced no issues during the outage, demonstrating the advantages of having a varied tech ecosystem.
Looking forward, Dr. Erskine indicated that Emory is committed to further integrating macOS and potentially other operating systems like Linux into its infrastructure.
"We're considering a more diversified approach to operating systems to enhance our resilience against future disruptions," he said.
This includes exploring backup solutions and contingency plans for critical systems and data.
In addition to improving technical infrastructure, Emory is deepening its partnership with Apple. Dr. Erskine hinted at forthcoming developments that will highlight Emory's commitment to incorporating Apple's ecosystem into its healthcare operations.
"Our relationship with Apple is evolving significantly, and we are excited about future developments that will further integrate Apple's technology into our healthcare services," he said.