Regional administrators, directors of operations, clinical consultants and owners often spend more time in cars and conference rooms than at a single desk. They approve invoices in a parking lot, review incident reports between visits and answer staffing calls from a hallway. Equipping these leaders with the right tools makes them more effective, and doing it securely protects resident and business information that now travels with them.
This guide covers the essentials for leaders working across several sites.
Before buying anything, ask each traveling leader what they do on the road.
Which systems must they reach, such as email, calendars, the electronic record, finance, scheduling and document sharing?
Which tasks are urgent and must be completed from a phone?
Which require a full laptop, a larger screen or a printer?
How reliable is connectivity in the buildings and areas they visit?
The answers shape device choices and policies.
A modern smartphone is the primary tool for many mobile leaders. Provide an organization-owned device when possible, or manage personal devices carefully if you allow them. Consider a device with good battery life, and carry a charger and a portable battery in the car.
Choose a light, reliable laptop with solid battery life. Enable full-disk encryption, automatic updates and a screen lock. Keep it with the user rather than leaving it in a parked vehicle.
Some leaders prefer a tablet for reviewing reports and signing documents. A portable second screen can also help in temporary workspaces.
Include a mobile hotspot or a data plan that allows tethering, so leaders are not dependent on public Wi-Fi.
Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive work. If it must be used, rely on a secure connection such as a virtual private network.
Provide a guest network at each site that does not expose internal systems.
Email and calendar that sync across devices, with shared calendars for site visits.
File sharing with controlled access, so leaders can reach documents without emailing copies.
Messaging and video calling for quick communication with site teams.
Approval and signature tools for invoices, purchase requests and policies.
Task and issue tracking so site visits generate follow-up items that do not get lost.
Dashboards for census, staffing and key measures, optimized for a phone screen.
Choose tools with strong mobile apps, and test them on real devices before deploying widely.
Mobile devices are easy to lose and easy to attack, so basic safeguards matter.
Multi-factor authentication on email and all cloud applications.
Device encryption and strong screen locks on every phone and laptop.
Remote lock and wipe, through a device management tool, so a lost device can be disabled quickly.
Automatic updates for operating systems and apps.
Password manager to avoid reuse and make strong passwords practical.
Separation of work and personal data on any personal device used for work.
Rules for printing and paper, including secure disposal of documents with resident information.
Reporting process for lost or stolen devices, with a clear phone number to call at any hour.
Train leaders on risks such as phishing texts, fake sign-in pages and shoulder surfing in public places. They are valuable targets because they have broad access and approve payments.
Pre-register visitors on site networks so leaders can connect quickly.
Set up a standard workspace, such as a docking station or monitor, at each building they visit often.
Keep a short checklist of IT contacts for each site.
Use shared calendars to coordinate visits with department heads.
Write a simple mobile device policy that covers acceptable use, security requirements, personal devices, reimbursement and what happens when someone leaves. Provide a dependable support route, because a traveling leader cannot afford to wait days for help. Remote support tools allow your IT team to fix issues wherever the leader is.
Revisit equipment and tools annually. Ask leaders what slows them down, retire apps that no one uses and refresh devices before they fail.
We help healthcare operators select, secure and support mobile equipment for leaders who work across sites, with encryption, management and responsive help desk support. If your administrators are working around technology instead of with it, a short review of their typical week is a good place to begin.
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