Enhancing Behavioral Health Services: Protocall’s Azure Migration Journey

Company

ProtoCall Services, Inc. is the nation’s leading third-party provider of specialty clinical call center services and digital tools for the behavioral health field.

Location

Portland, OR

Industry

Healthcare

Services

BY THE NUMBERS

45%

Reduction in infrastructure costs

100%

Application infrastructure uptime since deployment

About

Protocall Services (Protocall) is the nation’s leading provider of telephonic crisis services and digital tools for behavioral health, serving over 500 organizations with around-the-clock crisis care. Their mission includes supporting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, necessitating robust, reliable, and scalable IT infrastructure to handle 40,000 to 50,000 monthly crisis calls.

Protocall partnered with Atmosera to provide their successful cloud migration. Leveraging Azure’s robust capabilities and Atmosera’s specialized expertise, Protocall achieved significant improvements in reliability, scalability, security, and operational efficiency.

Challenge

Protocall faced several critical challenges with its existing IT infrastructure:

Performance and Scalability Limitations: The legacy on-premises servers and systems coupled with colocated infrastructure, struggled to meet the growing demands of Protocall’s crisis call services. The systems were overstretched, leading to performance bottlenecks and limitations in scalability
Need for Enhanced Security and Compliance: Handling sensitive health information required Protocall to comply with stringent security and privacy regulations, including the Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) Common Security Framework. Their existing infrastructure fell short of providing the robust security measures necessary to safeguard patient data effectively.
Operational Complexity and Maintenance Costs: Managing and maintaining the aging on-premises infrastructure was becoming increasingly complex and costly. Protocall needed a solution that could streamline its operations, reduce administrative overhead, and optimize IT expenditure.

Solution

To address these challenges and pave the way for future growth, Protocall partnered with Atmosera, a Microsoft cloud services provider, to embark on a comprehensive Azure migration strategy. The solution included several key components:

Cloud-Native Architecture Design: Atmosera leveraged its expertise in Azure architecture to design a scalable and resilient cloud environment tailored to Protocall’s specific needs. This included a phased approach to migrate critical applications and services to Microsoft Azure while maintaining continuity of operations.
Integration of Azure Services: Protocall adopted Azure services such as Azure Backup for data protection and Azure DevOps for agile software development and deployment. These integrations enabled Protocall to enhance operational efficiency and accelerate time-to-market for new digital tools and services.
Enhanced Security and Compliance Measures: By transitioning to Azure Protocall strengthened its security posture with built-in Azure security features and protocols. Atmosera’s expertise ensured that the Azure environment adhered to regulatory requirements, including HITRUST, thereby mitigating risks associated with handling protected health information (PHI).

Outcome

Improved Reliability and Scalability

The Azure migration significantly enhanced Protocall’s operational reliability, achieving nearly 100% application infrastructure uptime since deployment. The cloud-based architecture, managed by Atmosera, provided the flexibility and scalability necessary to accommodate fluctuating call volumes and peak periods of activity without compromising service delivery.

Streamlined Business Processes

Protocall experienced streamlined management, reporting, and billing processes following the Azure migration. Automation and cloud-native tools reduced administrative overhead, allowing Protocall’s IT team to focus more on strategic initiatives and product development rather than routine maintenance tasks.

Cost Savings and ROI

The transition to Azure resulted in a 45% reduction in infrastructure costs compared to their previous on-premises setup. Azure’s pay-as-you-go pricing model optimized resource utilization and expenditure, eliminating the need for upfront hardware investments and ongoing maintenance expenses associated with legacy systems.

Focus on the Core Mission

With Atmosera managing its Azure environment, Protocall’s IT department could reallocate resources toward improving crisis care services and developing innovative digital tools. This shift enabled Protocall to enhance its support for mental health and crisis intervention initiatives, aligning closely with its organizational mission and strategic objectives.

Why Atmosera?

Protocall Services’ successful migration to Azure with Atmosera demonstrates the profound impact of cloud technology in healthcare IT and crisis management. Through the use of Azure’s powerful features and Atmosera’s specialized expertise, Protocall experienced considerable enhancements in reliability, scalability, security, and operational efficiency.

As healthcare organizations continue to navigate digital transformation, Protocall’s experience serves as a compelling case study on the benefits of Azure migration in enhancing patient care, optimizing IT infrastructure, and ensuring regulatory compliance. By embracing cloud-native solutions, healthcare providers like Protocall can innovate rapidly, deliver superior services, and maintain a competitive edge in an evolving healthcare landscape.