The right IT asset disposition partner for a growing health system
Ochsner Health System is Louisiana’s largest nonprofit, academic healthcare system. Coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner’s 40 owned, managed, and affiliated hospitals and specialty hospitals, as well as by more than 100 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner employs nearly 25,000 individuals and has more than 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians in 90-plus medical specialties and subspecialties.
CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
Scrambling to fill an ITAD void
For a major health system like Ochsner, ongoing growth compounds the challenges of information technology asset disposal (ITAD). Ochsner’s end-of-life IT assets comprise a broad range of e-waste, including an annual stream of 3,000 to 4,000 endpoint computers. Prior to partnering with Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations in 2013, Ochsner contracted with another ITAD vendor. However, that company suddenly ceased operations, compelling the health system to quickly find another ITAD solution.
THE SOLUTION
A stable company with a proven track record
Attending an IAITAM* conference, Ochsner’s IS Asset Manager, Stephen Engel, CHAMP, CSAM, had a conversation with a Dynamic representative. This discussion morphed into a partnership, and today Dynamic delivers a comprehensive set of ITAD services to Ochsner, including:
- Logistics and transportation, including pickup of IT assets (grouped according to those with and without data) and secure delivery to a Dynamic facility for processing
- Data sanitization in strict compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other regulatory requirements
- Recycling of hardware in accordance with ecologically sustainable practices (including a strict no-landfill policy)
- Refurbishing and resale of qualified assets, with a revenue-sharing component
In addition to a full complement of ITAD services, Dynamic brought financial stability, several industry certifications and guarantees for responsiveness, flexibility, and versatility to the relationship with Ochsner. Ultimately Engel could enjoy peace of mind knowing he had chosen a proven ITAD partner that would capably serve his organization for many years to come.
THE PARTNERSHIP
Responsive to unique requirements and needs
IT asset disposition is an inherently high-risk proposition for healthcare organizations, particularly when it comes to protecting sensitive patient data. Dynamic follows the most stringent data destruction practices, satisfying HIPAA and other standards.
“We also appreciate the fact that Dynamic maintains full chain of custody over our IT assets, from the time they leave our facility through transport directly to Dynamic,” says Engel. “This is especially important for computers with data. We seal the shipment before it leaves our
facility. Dynamic notifies us when it arrives at their facility and verifies that the seal has not been broken.”
Another advantage of working with Dynamic, according to Engel, is the acceptance of virtually any IT asset. “I’ve almost never had anything they couldn’t take,” he states. “If it’s something we need to get rid of, Dynamic figures out how to recycle or resell it.”
As part of their revenue-sharing agreement, Ochsner receives a portion of the proceeds from resales, he adds. “At a minimum, this means that our IT asset recycling costs our organization no money at all.”
Being a vertically integrated company enables Dynamic to contain costs associated with the handling and processing of recyclable or resaleable assets. Dynamic can even refurbish decommissioned devices supplied by the customer (or from Dynamic’s inventory) for redeployment. This
service was urgently needed when the COVID-19 pandemic forced many Ochsner employees to work from home.
To help equip a suddenly remote workforce with laptop computers, Ochsner collected 152 older devices and sent them to Dynamic for testing, cleaning, and rebuilding or refurbishing to the health system’s specifications. Besides significant cost savings versus the purchase of new devices, the redeployment of these laptops was accomplished in less than two weeks — a turnaround that was greatly appreciated by Engel and his team.
Engel recalls another instance when Dynamic refurbished 100 laptop computers that Ochsner then donated to a local school’s robotics team for a state competition. “That was a really big deal for them — and they won the championship!” Over the years, Ochsner and Dynamic have made adjustments to optimize their partnership and ITAD processes. For example, Engel and his team designated a centralized facility for the pickup of most IT assets. This benefits Ochsner in terms of logistics, costs, and security.
Dynamic has implemented changes, too — often based on feedback from customers like Ochsner. “Dynamic has been willing to improve when something doesn’t work as well as it should,” says Engel. “They’ve always figured out how to make it better.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
‘Absolutely’ would recommend Dynamic
Would Ochsner’s IS Asset Manager Stephen Engel recommend Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations to another health system looking for an ITAD partner? “Absolutely,” he declares. For Ochsner, the positives of working with Dynamic include:
- Rigorous data security practices in compliance with HIPAA and other industry standards
- Oversight and control of every step in the ITAD process, from request and pickup of devices, to data destruction and the recycling or refurbishing of assets
- Acceptance of virtually any IT asset
- Revenue sharing from the resale of refurbished assets, which at minimum means no net recycling costs for Ochsner
- A willingness to make changes and improvements based on customer feedback
ABOUT DYNAMIC LIFECYCLE INNOVATIONS
Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations is a full-service electronics and materials lifecycle management corporation specializing in IT asset disposition, data security, electronics recycling, product refurbishment, remarketing and resale, mobility management, materials recovery, legislative
compliance, and logistics. Dynamic creates customized service packages designed to safeguard sensitive data and protect the environment from e-waste and other pollutants. The company has its headquarters in Onalaska, Wisconsin, with an additional facility in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.thinkdynamic.com.
