The following is a guest article by Trent Waterhouse, CMO at GlobalMeet
Most healthcare organizations have invested heavily in business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) planning to protect data, restore systems, and maintain day-to-day operations during a disruption. However, one area often lags: communication. Delivering accurate, timely information across teams and departments becomes critical when systems go down or unexpected events unfold. Delays, confusion, and missed updates can slow response efforts and impact decision-making at every level. Rethinking communications resilience means treating communication as a core function of BCDR planning, not a support layer. A modern, reliable communication strategy ensures operations stay aligned, leadership stays visible, and critical information reaches the right people immediately.
Why Communications are Critical in Healthcare BCDR
In healthcare, communication isn’t just a support function; it’s a lifeline. During disruptions, whether it is a cyberattack, system failure, or natural disaster, effective communication can determine how well an organization can respond and recover. While most BCDR plans focus on maintaining data and infrastructure, communication systems often become the critical weak point. When these systems fail, it can lead to confusion, delays, and breakdowns in patient care coordination. Clear and timely communication is necessary for:
- Coordinating Internal Teams: Efficient communication ensures all departments, from IT to clinical staff, stay aligned and can act swiftly during a crisis
- Managing External Communication: Clear messaging with patients, families, vendors, and public health authorities helps maintain trust and cooperation during disruptions
- Delivering Critical Updates: Timely communication prevents misinformation and keeps staff and patients informed about changes or delays
- Supporting Decision-Making: Real-time communication tools provide key stakeholders with the information to make fast, informed decisions
When communication systems are well-integrated into BCDR planning, healthcare organizations can respond confidently, reduce operational delays, and ultimately protect the care and safety of their patients. Ensuring resilience in this area is not just about having the right technology but also about embedding communication into the core resiliency strategy.
The Gaps in Traditional BCDR Communications Plans
While many healthcare organizations have robust BCDR plans set in place, communication systems often remain a weak link. Traditional communication tools, including basic video conferencing platforms, are not designed for large-scale crises and lack the scalability and security required. Systems that don’t integrate with existing workflows, like electronic medical records (EMRs), can cause further delays and confusion when timely communication is critical. To address these gaps, healthcare organizations should look for communication solutions that provide:
- Scalability to support real-time communication across multiple teams and locations during a crisis
- Security to ensure compliance and protect sensitive patient data
- Integration with existing systems like EMRs and patient management tools
- Real-time control to manage communication flow and ensure the right people receive timely information
By addressing these gaps, organizations can develop a communication framework that supports their BCDR plans and strengthens their response to crises. Building resilience into communication systems is crucial for managing disruptions effectively. Tools like private webcasting and operator-assisted conferencing are increasingly used in critical situations to ensure continuity. These solutions offer secure, enterprise-level backup channels that maintain the flow of information across departments and with external partners, even when primary systems are compromised.
Embedding Communications Resilience into Healthcare BCDR Plans
As organizations work to strengthen their BCDR plans, they should focus on embedding communication solutions that ensure long-term reliability and operational continuity. With regulatory pressures like HIPAA and emerging resilience mandates, healthcare organizations must adopt more comprehensive communication strategies. As data privacy and communication security regulations become stricter, communication systems must meet compliance standards while supporting continuity of care and emergency response.
By integrating secure communication tools into BCDR plans, healthcare organizations stay compliant while improving their ability to manage and recover from disruptions. These systems ensure clear communication during critical situations, allowing organizations to respond quickly and effectively when needed.
The ROI of Resilient Communications
Investing in resilient communication systems brings clear benefits beyond crisis management. These systems improve efficiency by enabling real-time communication that keeps teams coordinated and minimizes downtime during disruptions. Reliable communication platforms also help organizations reduce the risk of operational delays, ensuring that teams stay coordinated and respond quickly, which in turn helps protect the organization’s reputation by maintaining smooth operations.
Clear and timely communication with patients and staff builds trust, leading to improved patient experiences, better outcomes, and higher morale among staff. When communication is streamlined, care coordination becomes more effective, even during challenging situations. Additionally, having reliable communication systems in place can help speed up recovery and reduce the financial burden caused by disruptions.
The ROI of resilient communications lies in ensuring a quicker recovery, driving operational efficiency, and safeguarding the organization’s reputation and compliance. Incorporating robust communication solutions into BCDR plans is critical for maintaining continuity, protecting patient care, and securing long-term success.
About Trent Waterhouse
Trent Waterhouse is the CMO at GlobalMeet, a leading virtual event technology company with a scalable, flexible, and secure hybrid event streaming platform built and supported by experienced event experts. Trent has a proven track record of driving growth and innovation with 35 years of expertise leveraging a field sales marketing model that aligns sales, marketing, and R&D to think like a customer, act like a partner, and measure success through customer satisfaction and net promoters. Built for growth, Trent’s unique blend of technology understanding and B2B marketing skills have been proven to help companies grow revenue profitably, improve customer experiences, build new partnerships, and expand opportunity pipelines.
