This medical practice IT case study shows how a 25-staff, multi-site practice upgraded its systems, internet, phones and security.
At a glance
- Client: A large regional medical practice with 25 clinical, administrative and support staff across multiple locations.
- Service: Server upgrade, redundant internet, cloud phones, secure connectivity and security hardening.
- Headline results: Fast, reliable Genie performance, no disruption from internet outages and improved Essential Eight maturity.
The client
The practice relies heavily on Genie practice management software hosted on an onsite server with a dedicated terminal server. Communication and productivity run on Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Defender and Conditional Access protect its devices and accounts.
The challenge
- Slow Genie performance caused by ageing infrastructure.
- Unreliable internet that caused outages and disrupted telehealth.
- A legacy phone system with no redundancy.
- Weak email security and identity protection.
- No secure framework for multi-site access.
- Remote workers without a safe way to connect.
- A need to align with the ACSC Essential Eight, increasingly expected across healthcare.
The solution
- High-performance Genie platform. A new onsite server built for medical workloads, with a terminal server sized for up to 25 concurrent Genie users, multi-layer backup, snapshots and active monitoring.
- Redundant internet. Dual internet services, primary fibre or Starlink with secondary nbn or fixed wireless, with automatic failover on a business-grade router.
- Cloud phone system. A move from a legacy PBX to a modern cloud system with remote softphone access and advanced call routing for telehealth and after hours.
- Secure connectivity between sites. Encrypted site-to-site VPN tunnels so all clinics share one consistent, secure network.
- Secure remote access. Client VPN with multi-factor authentication, device checks and Conditional Access to block non-compliant devices.
- Microsoft Defender hardening. Defender for Business on workstations and servers, with attack surface reduction rules, web filtering and automated alerts.
- Microsoft 365 hardening. Mandatory MFA, Australia-only sign-ins, risk detection, SPF, DKIM and DMARC enforcement and Defender for Office 365 protection.
- Essential Eight alignment. Application control, patching, macro restrictions, application hardening, restricted administrator privileges, MFA and backups.
The outcomes
- Fast, reliable Genie performance.
- No disruption from internet outages.
- A modern, redundant cloud phone system.
- Secure connectivity between all locations.
- Safe, encrypted remote work options.
- Enterprise-grade security with MFA, Defender and Conditional Access.
- Improved Essential Eight maturity across all controls.
- Reduced risk from ransomware, phishing and identity-based attacks.
- Proactive monitoring and quarterly cyber security reviews.
Why it worked
The practice now has a secure, resilient and modern environment. Total Solutions IT continues to provide ongoing monitoring, security reviews and proactive support so the clinic stays protected and ready for the future of digital healthcare.
Key takeaways
- A 25-staff, multi-site medical practice replaced ageing infrastructure with a high-performance Genie platform.
- Dual internet services with automatic failover removed the disruption from outages.
- Security hardening improved the practice Essential Eight maturity.
Medical practice IT case study: frequently asked questions
What IT problems did the practice have?
Slow Genie performance from ageing infrastructure, unreliable internet that disrupted telehealth, a legacy phone system with no redundancy, weak email security and identity protection, no secure framework for multi-site access, remote workers without a safe way to connect, and a need to align with the ACSC Essential Eight.
How was the internet made resilient?
With dual internet services: primary fibre or Starlink with a secondary nbn or fixed wireless service, and automatic failover on a business-grade router.
How was Genie performance fixed?
With a new onsite server built for medical workloads and a terminal server sized for up to 25 concurrent Genie users, plus multi-layer backup, snapshots and active monitoring.
Related reading: IT support for medical and fertility clinics.
Want similar results for your practice? Call Total Solutions IT on 02 6061 4222.
