Practice Overview Organization: Desert Orthopaedic Center Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Practice Size: 27 physicians plus medical and administrative staff Practice Type: Multi-Speciality Orthopaedic What We Solved Strengthening system infrastructure, network reliability, and cybersecurity to support a seamless EMR implementation and deliver peak clinical performance. Key Results Desert Orthopaedic Center (DOC), an orthopedic practice in Las Vegas, NV, has 27 physicians, and has served patients for 55 years. As CEO of DOC, Michael Pendleton has led the practice for the better part of 30 years.  Over that time, Pendleton said, “We’ve seen more and more need to become a technology company more than a healthcare company.” But until recently, DOC struggled with outdated technology infrastructure.  Security vulnerabilities were common, and the internal IT staff lacked sufficient expertise. The on-premise servers the company used to host its PACS and EMR systems were unreliable and costly to maintain. Frequent system failures disrupted patient care, frustrated physicians, and caused financial losses. “When the day went right without an issue, you were surprised because it was just so bad. And we didn’t know how bad it was until we pulled HealthSpaces in and they helped us kind of map it out and see what needed to be done.” — Michael Pendleton, CEO HealthSpaces Takes Over Technology Management After cycling through a few different iterations of in-house IT teams, Pendleton had had enough. So he decided to turn to an expert.  What happened next was a steady, methodical march from constant performance issues to Pendleton saying, “Over the years, I think we’ve achieved state-of-the-art systems and it’s been a constant process to maintain that.” Here’s how DOC and HealthSpaces got there: Putting Out Fires, Setting the Foundation Once HealthSpaces stepped in, the priority was shifting DOC from its reactive stance to a proactive technology strategy. The following areas highlight what that shift looked like.  1. Infrastructure Overhaul HealthSpaces helped oversee DOC’s switch from a disorganized assembly of technologies that sometimes worked to a cloud-based infrastructure with high availability and scalability. “It’s been nice for our physicians to have some comfort that their systems are going to be working 99% of the time,” Pendleton said.  But the infrastructure overhaul was not just about making things work. It was also key to setting the foundation for Desert Orthopedic’s transition to a cloud-based Electronic Medical Record (EMR), among other things. “We changed our PACS system and our group practice system at the same time [as the EMR]. So that was all a big change. [HealthSpaces] had gotten us to a point where we were ready to take that on.” 2. Cost Reduction & Optimization During the overhaul of DOC’s infrastructure, HealthSpaces worked with Pendleton and the clinical and business office staff to eliminate waste, something previous technology administrators had either not wanted to or could not take on.  Far from paying someone to get up to speed, Pendleton said that thanks to processes they’ve been able to automate, he’s seen “hundreds of thousands of dollars of cost savings on the staffing side.” Simply put, HealthSpaces provided the leadership and vision that DOC needed to identify and confidently eliminate redundant software and streamline technological operations. 3. Proactive Technology Planning Before HealthSpaces came on board, DOC faced a challenge that is unfortunately very familiar to mid-enterprise practices. They relied on solutions designed for large enterprises, such as on-premises servers for their EMR and PACS systems. This made maintenance a nightmare. Still, Desert Orthopaedic made do with what they had because it was too big a task for their in-house staff to handle on their own. What finally spurred the switch to a cloud-based infrastructure was the confidence HealthSpaces provided Pendleton and his team in proactive planning.  HealthSpaces helped establish a vision for the future and laid out the steps to get there. “With Jeff, [HealthSpaces Engineer and Co-Founder], I always felt confident that he could help me understand it in a way that made sense from a cost-benefit analysis.” Pendleton continued, “That’s the beauty of HealthSpaces. They’re going to tell us where we’re at, why we’re doing it this way, and these are the steps that we’re going to take.” Project Spotlight: HealthSpaces’ Role in EMR Selection & Preparation One of the biggest projects Desert Orthopedic undertook since HealthSpaces came on board was switching to a new, cloud-based EMR system.   As DOC’s current system, Centricity, was being phased out, the practice needed a modern, scalable replacement. Rather than rushing into an implementation, HealthSpaces helped Desert Orthopaedic Group: After selecting Modernizing Medicine (ModMed), HealthSpaces ensured that technology infrastructure was fully optimized before implementation. As Pendleton explained, setting that foundation minimized disruptions and positioned the project for success. “HealthSpaces helped us with all of the nuts and bolts of the system requirements and making sure everything tied together and which other softwares would now be redundant and we could get rid of,” he said.  A Foundation for Long-Term Success As CEO of Desert Orthopaedic Group, Pendleton always knew his company needed to become a technological leader. He just didn’t have the internal resources or expertise to do it.  When he teamed up with HealthSpaces, that all changed. Now, technology is an asset rather than a liability.  Pendleton summed it up, “With HealthSpaces every cent has been well spent and has gotten us to the point where we are today. And that peace of mind ultimately for me as an administrator is the most valuable. You can’t put a price on that.” Ready to Make Technology a Competitive Advantage?  At HealthSpaces, we help physician-owned practices transform technology from a daily frustration into a strategic advantage.  With our help, your systems run smoothly, your staff stays focused, and your organization is ready for what’s next.