Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health completed a remote work optimization process in 2021 that involved adopting Google's cloud platform and replacing Office 365 with Google Workspace, Computerworld reported Dec. 30.
Mark Eimer — Hackensack Meridian's senior vice president, associate CIO and chief technology officer — told Computerworld that the system purchased 3,000 Chromebooks at the beginning of the pandemic so that employees who were not providing direct patient care could work from home.
The Chromebook rollout was successful and led to an increase in telehealth visits, according to Mr. Eimer. He said the system plans to make its hybrid-remote strategy long term and will continue rolling out Chrome OS devices across all Hackensack Meridian hospitals beginning in January.
Mr. Eimer said a major reason the system switched to Chrome OS devices is because they're less targeted for ransomware attacks compared to Windows devices.
The system also switched all 40,000 of its employees from Microsoft's Office 365 to Google Workspace. Mr. Eimer said Hackensack Meridian uses most apps in the Workspace suite, including Docs, Meet and Chat.
"By the end of 2022, we will be one of the few, if not the only, large integrated delivery health networks that have rolled out Google Workspace and Chrome OS across the board," Mr. Eimer told Computerworld.