Partners in Health’s mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in healthcare. By establishing long-term relationships with sister organizations based in settings of poverty, Partners In Health (PIH) strives to achieve two overarching goals: to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need and to serve as an antidote to despair.
PIH draws on the resources of the world’s leading medical and academic institutions to expand access to high-quality care for poor and marginalized patients throughout the world. The root of their mission is both medical and moral, based on solidarity rather than charity alone.
Chris Sweeney / Partners In Health
Perficient is assisting PIH with their migration to Microsoft’s Office 365 (O365) solution. O365 will allow users to access their email from anywhere in the world on any computer or mobile device with access to the Internet. OneDrive for O365 will enhance collaboration between all PIH users, both domestically and internationally. The platform will provide PIH with a reliable and secure communication toolbox, including storage and collaboration tools. Deployment of O365 across PIH sites in Africa, Haiti, Russia, and the U.S. will enable PIH’s mission to provide a preferential option for the poor in healthcare and will be an important tool to enhance communication as they respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
The current Ebola outbreak is a global challenge and will require collaboration from many players. PIH, which has said it is “radically invitational” and is seeking partners to help respond, recently explained in a blog post that it is
“working alongside two outstanding grassroots organizations—Last Mile Health in Liberia and Wellbody Alliance in Sierra Leone. These longtime PIH partners are already working to train health workers, identify sick patients, and deliver quality care. As the epidemic advances, these groups need support to provide comprehensive prevention, care, and treatment.”
Why will Office 365 have an impact?
Enabling a global collaboration and communication platform will allow PIH to share information seamlessly with colleagues, partners and all involved in the fight against disease in developing countries while helping to further PIH’s ability to deliver community based care. Cloud based storage means that documents can be accessed at any time from any device in any setting, including those where bandwidth is limited.
Identity Management using Microsoft Azure
Perficient has architected PIH’s cloud identity management by deploying several components in Azure including the following:
• O365 Directory Synchronization Server: to synchronize PIH user information with O365
• End User and O365 Management Server: to provide remote technical leads around the world with the capability to manage end users in their respective countries
• Domain Controllers: to provide geographic resiliency for Active Directory
The use of Azure will take PIH out of the server management business and allow them to focus on delivering healthcare.
Global Rollout of Office 365
Perficient and PIH have completed a rollout of Office 365 Exchange Online to the PIH domestic users and are in the process of initiating an international pilot with Haiti and Rwanda. In future blog posts we’ll showcase the impact Office 365 is having on PIH’s capability to collaborate globally and the positive effects this is providing to PIH’s most remote locations.
