IT planning for a second medical practice location starts well before equipment arrives. A new clinic depends on internet service, cabling, phones, computers, clinical devices, user access, and support working together. If one piece is overlooked, staff may face delays when they are trying to serve patients.
A relative opening timeline makes the work easier to coordinate. First confirm how care will be delivered at the new site. Then prepare the space and technology, configure access, test workflows, and rehearse what to do if a system is unavailable. Assign an owner and a completion test to each item rather than relying on a general promise that it is ready.
Start with workflows and room requirements
Before choosing equipment, walk through the patient and staff workflows planned for the new location. Consider how check-in, exams, procedures, checkout, records, and communication will happen. The layout and workflow determine where technology is needed and how it should connect.
Make a room-by-room plan that accounts for:
- Workstations or laptops, monitors, keyboards, and other staff equipment.
- Network connections and Wi-Fi coverage for the devices and work areas that need them.
- Phones, printers, scanners, and any shared equipment.
- Clinical or diagnostic devices that connect to the network or exchange information with other systems.
- Equipment placement, available power, and cabling routes, coordinated with facilities work.
Record who will use each device, what system or workflow it supports, and who is responsible for setup and support. For connected clinical equipment, plan its network connection and security separately from ordinary office equipment. The guide to connecting a medical device safely can help you think through that distinction.
Coordinate the site infrastructure and vendors
Confirm the internet service, network equipment, cabling, Wi-Fi, and phone requirements while the site is still being prepared. Work with the appropriate service providers and facilities contacts so installation details match the room plan. Check that equipment locations have the connections and power they need, and that cabling work will not be left until after workstations are in place.
For internet service, clarify how the connection will be installed, who will verify it, and what the practice expects to happen if it fails. If a backup connection is part of the plan, define how it will be activated and tested. A connection that has never been tested during a realistic workflow may not provide the continuity staff expect.
Plan the network so staff, guests, administrative systems, and connected clinical devices have appropriate access. The network design should reflect the practice’s security needs and how devices communicate. Coordinate with the teams responsible for the EHR and other clinical applications, too. Confirm whether any device or application needs a specific connection, configuration, or support arrangement before installation.
Plan equipment and connected medical devices
Build an inventory for the new site rather than ordering equipment based on assumptions. Include computers, phones, printers, scanners, network equipment, and clinical devices. For each item, note its location, intended user or workflow, setup owner, and the person or team to contact if it does not work.
For connected devices, identify what information they exchange, where they connect, and who manages their configuration and updates. Confirm any dependencies with the device or application provider and the practice’s IT support team. Avoid connecting equipment until its intended network access and support path are understood.
Check that each device is ready for the site’s actual workflow, not merely powered on. A workstation should allow the intended staff member to complete the relevant task. A printer should be available from the systems that need it. A clinical device should be tested with its expected application or data connection. Keep the inventory current as equipment is added or moved.
Prepare staff accounts and access
Decide which staff will work at the new location, which systems they need, and whether their work differs by role. Set up individual accounts and appropriate permissions before staff begin seeing patients. Avoid relying on shared credentials as a shortcut; staff need access that supports their job while protecting information they do not need.
Test access from the new site, not just from the existing office. Confirm that authorized staff can reach the EHR and other required applications, and that access works on the equipment they will use. Check multi-site or remote workflows with the people who depend on them, and make sure staff know how to request help if sign-in or access fails.
Include security and compliance responsibilities in the site plan. Review how the new location fits into the practice’s security risk analysis, physical safeguards, access controls, and applicable HIPAA and HITECH requirements. Involve the practice’s privacy or compliance lead and relevant technology partners. The Implementing Health IT guidance can be a useful reference when organizing implementation work around clinical workflows.
Test the complete workflow before opening
Testing should follow the way people will actually work, from arrival through the end of a visit. Ask staff to use the new site’s equipment, accounts, applications, phones, and devices as they would during care. Record the result, who tested it, and what needs follow-up. If a test fails, assign an owner and retest after the issue is addressed.
Include checks for:
- Internet access, Wi-Fi coverage in intended work areas, and any planned failover connection.
- Staff sign-in and access to the EHR and other necessary applications.
- Phones, voicemail, printers, scanners, and shared workstations.
- Clinical device connections and any expected exchange of information.
- Data backup, recovery responsibilities, and the process for reporting a technical problem.
- Support contacts, escalation steps, and how staff can get assistance during clinic hours.
Practice the downtime process, too. Staff should know how to report an internet or EHR problem, what approved procedures to follow while systems are unavailable, and how to resume work when service returns. Define who makes operational decisions and who contacts IT support. The SAFER Contingency Planning Guide offers a reference for organizing contingency planning. For a practical internet outage discussion, see this clinic internet outage backup plan.
Use an opening-readiness checklist
Bring the work together in a checklist that names the task owner and the test that confirms completion. Include facilities contacts, application or device vendors, practice leadership, and IT support where their work overlaps. Keep unresolved issues visible, with a clear decision about whether they affect opening readiness or require a workaround.
- Site and infrastructure: Are cabling, network equipment, internet, Wi-Fi, phones, and equipment locations ready and tested?
- Devices and applications: Is the inventory complete, and have workstations, printers, and connected clinical devices been checked in their intended workflows?
- People and access: Can each staff member sign in and use the systems needed for their role?
- Security and continuity: Have the new site’s safeguards and downtime procedures been reviewed with the right practice contacts?
- Support and escalation: Do staff know whom to contact, and does the support team know how to identify and respond to issues at the new site?
Opening a second location is a coordinated change to the practice’s care environment, not just an equipment installation. Zevonix supports healthcare IT infrastructure, including networks, workstations, servers, cloud services, telemedicine, and security. To discuss planning or support for a new site, contact Zevonix at (904) 658-0777.