Do you need to hire an IT company or MSP (managed service provider) for a startup dental practice? After all, when everything is new, it’s less vulnerable, right? Wrong. That’s like getting a cavity filled and never returning to the dentist because you have a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and dietary knowledge.
First, what is an MSP? An MSP manages its customers’ IT, remotely or in person, handling much of a dental office’s technology from investigation and procurement to installation (often remote) and support, while maintaining HIPAA compliance through data management, cybersecurity, communication platforms, and more. Because an MSP has access to a practice’s protected health information (PHI), it’s considered a business associate and is invested in its clients’ HIPAA compliance, since it’s liable too.
A common approach for startups is to handle IT internally: an employee with computer aptitude, educating yourself, or hiring a friend or family member part-time. These solutions “work,” but the perception that they save money is false. They cost time, add frustration, and lack a specialist’s benefits. The best way to see how an MSP helps is phase by phase.
01Services in the startup phase
Startup-focused MSPs have seen hundreds of build-outs and work with plumbers, electricians, interior designers, and general contractors. They help refine your design holistically, considering how each part of the build-out affects IT and vice versa.
A dental-focused MSP knows how practice management, imaging, paperless, and engagement integrations work, which to embrace or avoid, and the computer specs they require. Well-positioned MSPs can also unlock third-party vendor deals.
With experience across startup vendors, an MSP can help you evaluate who to work with and the quality of their work, and in some cases step in to save a project.
Knowing your roadmap from opening day to five years and beyond, an MSP can save you money on hardware and software and make sure you can upgrade rather than replace.
02Services in the installation phase
Project management
Startup-experienced MSPs have dedicated teams that coordinate with your other vendors for a smooth, timely installation, so you aren’t overseeing the project alone. They also bring a dental-specific eye to construction and wiring decisions; not every general contractor, plumber, or electrician has dental experience.
Tech installation and implementation
Once your office is built and you’re adding finishing touches, the MSP installs your computers, network, security cameras, patient entertainment, and more, then tests all equipment, installs your software, and makes sure your team is trained and ready on opening day.
03Services once you’re open and established
Worthwhile MSPs run software that constantly monitors your network and alerts their team to potential issues, an early warning system that lets them address problems, from false alarms to impending downtime, before something goes wrong.
- 1Ongoing supportMost MSPs use a ticketing system: any employee can open a ticket by email, text, or phone, and specialists work the issue in the background while your team keeps working, from front desk printers to dental imaging.
- 2HIPAA complianceFew people keep up with HIPAA in their free time. Dental-specific MSPs track the latest regulations and have systems in place to keep you compliant and your patient data secure.
- 3Future planningExpanding to more treatment rooms, a second location, or several? An MSP can help you budget, plan, and implement whatever growth you envision.
About Darkhorse Tech
Whether you’re just starting out or a well-established organization, Darkhorse Tech has the experience and technology to help get you moving, cut costs, and streamline your operations with unlimited IT support. We help you do what you do best: provide top-notch care and service for patients, not deal with IT problems, time spent on hold with technical support, or complicated technical mishaps. Our additional security services include:
- Unlimited remote and/or on-site IT support of all your hardware and software
- Improved network performance and security
- HIPAA-compliant off-site and local backup service (Darkhorse Secure Backup)
- Managed antivirus, anti-malware, and anti-ransomware (Darkhorse Security Products)
- Compliance and security law standards
- Microsoft security patch management
- Vendor management: we will be on the phone, not your employees
- Secure, remote access to your office
- Firewall management
- Network management
- Long-term planning and budgeting
Contact us anytime to learn more about our dental-specific solutions and unlimited support packages. Read our reviews or call us today at 800.868.4504.
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