Parkway Physiotherapy wanted to centralize document storage, simplify remote access, and safeguard patient data. By deploying Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials on an HP ProLiant MicroServer, the clinic moved all documents to a server with secure remote access. Documents are better protected, employees have more time to focus on patients, IT work has shrunk, and the clinic now has a foundation for paperless efficiencies.

Business Needs
Parkway Physiotherapy is located just outside of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It provides physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and sport performance services. Its 22 employees had to search the clinic’s eight PCs to find patient records, treatment plans, and other needed documents, sometimes leaving patients waiting. “All our documents were scattered across our PCs, and we had no file naming or storage conventions, so employees had a terrible time locating documents,” says Brian Woltz, Owner and Physiotherapist at Parkway Physiotherapy. “We wanted to put all our files in one place where everyone could get to them.”

Parkway also wanted to simplify document access without compromising security. Each employee used a password to log on to the PCs, but the authentication process took several seconds and added to the time that employees were away from patients. Logging on to a PC remotely was so onerous—and risky—that administrative employees and managers could not work from home—something many wanted to do as new parents. “To comply with legal requirements for patient data security, we had to make sure we weren’t doing anything that created security holes in our network,” Woltz says. “So we sacrificed functionality for security.”

Our business is much better protected than it was before. Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials has given us the confidence to embrace efficiencies such as remote access … without sacrificing security. Brian Woltz Owner and Physiotherapist, Parkway Physiotherapy

Ultimately, Parkway wanted to move toward a paperless office and an electronic medical records system, but first it needed to get all its files in one secure location. Woltz and his co-owners were even hesitant to add new services and expand the business until they had resolved these internal inefficiencies. “We needed to step up our technological capabilities while at the same time simplifying technology,” Woltz says.

Solution
In 2010, Parkway joined the Microsoft Technology Adoption Program for Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials, an integrated technology solution for small businesses with up to 25 users that includes remote access, file and printer sharing, data backup and restoration, and easy connection to online services. The clinic moved all documents off the eight PCs and put them on an HP ProLiant MicroServer, which is designed for businesses with fewer than 10 PCs. Windows Small Business Server automatically backs up the server and all PCs every night and also encrypts any data that travels across the Internet, providing an extra layer of protection.

“The HP MicroServer is incredibly small and easy to deal with,” Woltz says. “We don’t have a lot of extra space in the clinic, and its small size makes a huge difference. It’s very quiet and no bigger than a shoebox.” The clinic also added an HP netbook computer. “The netbook has allowed my staff to access the network from the lunchroom where space is at a premium,” Woltz says. “This keeps them from interfering with the busy reception area and increases their efficiency.”

Using the Remote Web Access feature of Windows Small Business Server, employees can easily log on to the server from home by using a browser, eliminating the previous complicated logon procedure. Employees can log on to a secure site from anywhere they have an Internet connection and access shared folders on the server, as well as connect to any PC on the network through a remote desktop session. The clinic’s technology partner, Catoptric Resources, helped create user profiles for the reception-area PC, the back-office PC, and individual therapists. In the office, once employees are logged on to their profile, they can access all the applications and files they need.

Once Catoptric set up the server, Woltz has been managing it himself. “The Windows Small Business Server administrative console gives me one place to look for any problems, such as PCs that need security updates,” Woltz says. “I can now proactively manage all the computers in the office from my desk or from home.”

Benefits
With Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and its new HP server, Parkway Physiotherapy has improved efficiency and productivity, enhanced data security, reduced IT chores, and created a foundation for business growth.

More Time for Patients and Personal Life
With all documents in one place, Parkway employees work with less frustration and have more time to focus on patients. By using the search capability in Windows Small Business Server, employees can retrieve documents in seconds. “Having all our documents stored on a server will save us thousands of hours over the life of this company,” Woltz says.

Employees can also freely work from home now. “All of us have busy lives and young children. With remote access in Windows Small Business Server, we can do our work from home and still do our parenting job,” Woltz says.

Enhanced Patient Data Security
“Now, all our PCs are password protected, all documents are encrypted, and all files are automatically backed up nightly,” Woltz adds. “Our business is much better protected than it was before. Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials has given us the confidence to embrace efficiencies such as remote access and paperless patient records without sacrificing security.”

Easy Network Management
The server is so easy to manage that Woltz can take care of it himself without constant outside help. “By using Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials, I can accomplish more in the time I have,” he says. “I used to get together with Catoptric four to six hours a week to solve PC problems; now, we talk one hour a month. I can fix problems from home before employees are affected, without having to drive to the office. You can’t put a price tag on catching problems before they materialize.”

Foundation for Growth
With Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials, Parkway has a solid foundation on which it can embrace paperless efficiencies and expand its services. “With Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials I am now more productive, which dramatically increases the time I can spend growing the business,” Woltz says.

For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit:
www.microsoft.com/casestudies