When an organization has ten employees, accounts are easy to manage. Someone creates a login for each system, writes the passwords down somewhere and hopes for the best. By the time you have a few dozen employees, multiple locations or an acquisition on the horizon, that approach starts to break. People leave and keep access. New hires wait days for accounts. Nobody is sure who can see what.
An identity platform, often called a directory with single sign-on, solves these problems by giving each person one central identity that controls access to many systems. Choosing one is a significant decision, because changing it later is disruptive. This post covers the criteria that matter for owners and operators of growing healthcare and senior-living organizations.
At its core, an identity platform does three jobs.
Authentication. It confirms who someone is, typically with a password plus multi-factor authentication.
Authorization. It controls what that person can access, based on role, location or group.
Lifecycle management. It creates, changes and removes accounts as people join, move and leave.
Most platforms also provide single sign-on, so a person signs in once and reaches many applications, plus reporting on sign-in activity.
Start with where your people already work. If your organization runs on Microsoft 365, a Microsoft-based identity system is a natural choice. If you rely heavily on Google Workspace, that platform has its own. Some organizations use a third-party service that sits across many applications. The best option is usually the one that works smoothly with the systems you cannot easily replace, including your electronic health record, email and payroll.
Look for support for multi-factor authentication, preferably with stronger methods like number matching or security keys. Check for conditional access, which lets you set rules, such as requiring extra verification from unfamiliar locations. Look for logging that shows who signed in, from where and when. Make sure the platform can quickly disable an account and end active sessions.
Healthcare has many staff who share devices, work odd hours or do not have a personal computer. Ask how the platform handles shared workstations, kiosk-style devices and workers who only need access to one or two systems. A solution designed only for desk workers can be awkward on the floor of a care facility.
How long does it take to create a new employee with the right access? How quickly can you remove one? Look for the ability to use groups or roles so that access follows the job instead of being granted piece by piece. Automation tied to your HR or payroll system is a big plus as you grow.
If you operate several facilities or have more than one legal entity, check how the platform separates and shares information. Can you delegate administration to a local manager without giving away everything? Can you onboard an acquired company without a complete rebuild?
Pricing models vary by user, by feature tier or by bundle. Consider the full cost, including licenses, any add-ons for advanced security, implementation and ongoing administration. Ask what happens to the price as you grow.
Who will manage it? A small organization may rely on a managed IT provider. Make sure someone has the skills and time to keep the platform healthy. A powerful tool that nobody maintains is a liability.
For HIPAA-covered organizations, ask whether the vendor will sign a business associate agreement where applicable, how audit logs are kept and for how long, and how the vendor protects data. Your policies should require access to be limited to what each person needs.
List your applications and note which support single sign-on.
Define your user groups, such as clinical, administrative, shared device users and contractors.
Write down must-haves, such as multi-factor authentication, audit logs and fast account disabling.
Shortlist two or three options and run a small pilot with a mix of users.
Plan the migration, including communication, training and a fallback if something goes wrong.
Choosing based on price alone
Skipping the pilot, then discovering a key application does not integrate
Leaving old accounts and shared logins in place after the migration
Not planning who owns the system after it is installed
Identity touches everything: security, onboarding, compliance and daily convenience. UnityCare IT helps growing healthcare organizations compare options, plan the move and clean up old accounts, so the platform you choose supports your growth instead of getting in its way.
An outsourced IT department with proactive maintenance and one number to call.
Call or text: 405-285-3845
New customers: start@unitycareit.com
Existing customers: support@unitycareit.com
Address: UnityCare Technologies, 2524 N Broadway Ste 554, PMB 947974, Edmond, Oklahoma 73034-4172