Medicard employs IBM cloud computing solution

CEBU, Philippines - One of the country’s largest (health maintenance organizations)  HMOs, Medicard announced its employment of IBM’s cloud computing solution, in a bid to improve its services and get easier access to electronic patient health records.

Medicard is now using the SmartCloud Enterprise Object Storage technology by IBM, which manages data like documents, spreadsheets, presentations, audio files, email, and text messages.

MediCard offers a wide range of services, including hospital in-patient care, out-patient care, preventive healthcare, dental care, as well as financial services. The company is associated with more than 14,000 accredited doctors, specialists and dentists, operating in more than 600 hospitals and clinics across the country.

This HMO was looking to advance its patient services with the availability of more current data to its health care providers. Its existing customer data back-up strategy consisted of regular back-up through legacy systems in several locations. The company wanted a solution that would help it have easier and faster access to customers’ present and historical data for providing quicker and more appropriate services.

According to IBM, using SmartCloud Enterprise Object Storage solution, MediCard will be able to upload, share, and access data of any size from across the globe. The solution ensures that any modifications to data are reflected immediately across all geographies, which helps maintain data consistency and accuracy. 

The solution will help MediCard centralize its customer data operations, drive greater efficiency and ensure quicker response time. The cloud-based computing infrastructure will enable the company to easily expand its operations, thereby supporting MediCard’s future growth plans.  

“Proving high quality services is fundamental to MediCard’s business. With IBM’s solution we will be in a position to offer superior services at an affordable cost, benefitting the customers and contributing to our business growth,” said Nicky S. Montoya, MediCard President.

 â€œThe IBM team takes a holistic approach that involves end-to-end design, delivering robust technical solutions that are easy to acquire, and are competitively priced and backed by world-class support,” Montoya added.

“MediCard is a pioneer in providing innovative health maintenance services that leverages on technology,” said Mariels Almeda Winhoffer, President and Country General Manager, IBM Philippines.

Winhoffer said that is excited to be a partner in their ongoing IT transformation. “Our SmartCloud Enterprise Object Storage solutions addressed MediCard’s need for efficient and secure IT, while establishing a collaborative and innovative computing environment.”

MediCard is a leading HMO in the country that brings to thousands of Filipinos more expertise, more assurance and more value being the only HMO run and founded by doctors. This differentiates it from the vast competition, alongside providing total proactive healthcare services through innovative schemes that cut down the cost of health maintenance without compromising quality.

IBM on the other hand, has helped thousands of clients adopt cloud models and manages millions of cloud based transactions every day. IBM assists clients in areas as diverse as banking, communications, healthcare and government to build their own clouds or securely tap into IBM cloud-based business and infrastructure services. IBM is unique in bringing together key cloud technologies, deep process knowledge, a broad portfolio of cloud solutions, and a network of global delivery centers.  —(FREEMAN)