As more clinical and administrative systems move to the cloud, your internet connection becomes part of your care delivery. If the connection drops, the EHR may become unreachable, VoIP phones may stop working, and remote monitoring tools may go silent. A single circuit is a single point of failure, and outages caused by construction crews, storms or provider problems are not rare.
Redundancy is a way to reduce that risk. This article explains the main options in plain language so that administrators can ask informed questions and budget sensibly.
Before buying anything, identify what depends on the internet.
Cloud-based EHR and eMAR
Telephone and fax services
Email and scheduling
Pharmacy and lab connections
Telehealth visits
Security cameras and door access with cloud management
Call-light or monitoring systems that report to cloud services
Remote support tools your IT provider uses
Then ask how long you can operate without each of them and what your downtime procedure is. Those answers help you decide how much redundancy is justified.
True redundancy removes shared points of failure. Two services that share the same cable, the same pole or the same upstream provider may both fail together.
The most common design uses a primary connection, such as fiber or cable, and a secondary connection from a different provider. Where possible, ask whether the two lines enter the building by different paths and rely on different physical infrastructure.
Pairing a wired primary with a fixed wireless or cellular backup can avoid a shared failure. Wired connections are usually faster, while cellular or fixed wireless backups are valuable because they follow a completely different route.
A firewall or router with dual WAN support monitors both links. If the primary stops passing traffic, it shifts to the backup without anyone intervening. Check how quickly it switches and how it treats active sessions, because some applications and VoIP calls will briefly drop.
Some setups use both links at once to increase capacity. This can be useful, but for many small facilities the main goal is availability rather than speed.
What is the service level agreement, and what remedies apply if it is not met?
What are typical repair times for business customers?
Is the circuit dedicated or shared with neighbors?
Does the backup have enough bandwidth for essential clinical systems, even if not everything?
Are there data caps on the backup service?
Do you provide static IP addresses if we need them for vendor connections or VPNs?
A dual-ISP design does not help if the firewall, the main switch or a power supply fails.
Put critical network equipment on battery backup so that it survives short power loss
Consider a spare firewall or switch, or a vendor support agreement with fast replacement
Ensure the generator circuits include the network closet and any equipment that must run during an outage
Label cables and keep a current diagram so that repairs are fast
CMS emergency preparedness requirements for long-term care facilities expect a facility-based and community-based risk assessment, and communication and continuity planning. Connectivity should be part of those discussions.
When running on a slower backup, quality-of-service settings can give priority to the most important traffic, such as the EHR and voice calls, and limit streaming, software updates and guest Wi-Fi. Prepare these rules in advance.
A failover design that has never been tested is a guess. Schedule a test during low-activity hours:
Unplug the primary line and confirm the backup takes over
Check that the EHR, phones and key vendor connections work
Time how long the switch takes
Make sure alerts reach someone when a failover occurs, because you should know when you are running on the backup
Restore the primary and confirm it fails back cleanly
Repeat the test at least annually and after any major change.
A secondary circuit adds a monthly cost, and equipment may add a one-time cost. Compare this with the operational impact of an outage, including staff time, delays in documentation and the risk to resident care. Some facilities choose a lower-cost cellular backup sized only for essential systems, which can be a reasonable compromise.
UnityCare IT designs and supports connectivity for healthcare and senior-living organizations, including failover testing and monitoring. If you are relying on one internet line today, we can review your dependencies and recommend a right-sized backup plan.
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