Kaiser Permanente is scaling up its cloud capabilities through a new deal with Microsoft and Accenture. The partnership will better support digital experiences for Kaiser’s 12.4 million members and more than 85,000 clinicians.
The 39-hospital consortium headquartered in Oakland, California, is aiming to strengthen its cloud computational power and data insights for its care teams. Under the agreement, members of the health system will also have more timely and personalized care and prioritized data security and privacy, according to a press release.
“Delivering personalized, accessible care through technology is crucial to meeting the needs of millions of Kaiser Permanente members across the nation,” Judson Althoff, executive vice president, Microsoft’s Worldwide Commercial Business, said in a statement. “By collaborating with Kaiser Permanente and Accenture, we’re helping move the healthcare industry toward a cloud-driven future that will enable better care and advance innovation.”
Microsoft and Accenture, a global professional services company specializing in digital, cloud and security, have worked together for more than two decades with healthcare organizations. Accenture also has its Accenture Health business, offering consulting services and software.
The partnership with Kaiser comes at a time when health systems are seeing rising demand for virtual care as patients put off in-person care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This collaboration will help Kaiser Permanente better serve our members by providing our care teams with increased access to cloud-based services, which will enable them to deliver personalized digital experiences and make more data-informed decisions,” Diane Comer, senior vice president, interim chief information officer at Kaiser Permanente, said in a statement.
Kaiser Permanente went through a few big changes in the last couple years, replacing its late CEO at the end of 2019 and scrapping plans for new headquarters in Oakland with a nearly $1 billion price tag.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."