BT Partners Managed IT Services Frees Mount St. Joseph to Focus on Their Mission
Industry
Nonprofit
Service
Managed Services
In Business
Since 1931
Customer
Since 2002
Mount St. Joseph
For nearly 90 years, Mount St. Joseph in picturesque Lake Zurich, Illinois, has been providing care and services to women with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Sisters remain actively involved in the day-to-day activities, supported by a dedicated team of 150 employees. Used to being self-sufficient, the staff handled the organization’s IT needs for many years. As technology grew increasingly complex, though, the organization knew its talents were better spent on the mission. That’s why, nearly two decades ago, Mount St. Joseph selected BT Partners as its Managed IT Services provider.
"It would be impossible for an organization of our size to have this level of expertise internally. Having BT Partners as our technology partner gives us access to the best services available at an affordable cost."
Trusted Partner
“BT Partners is wonderful to work with,” says Debbie Gaskell, Payroll and IT Manager at Mount St. Joseph. “They are both professional and personable and treat our organization with care and respect, helping us get the most out of our technology.”
BT Partners’ Managed IT Services team handles every aspect of the organization’s technology, from server and workstation maintenance and updates to network security, new computer setup and configuration and HIPAA compliance. The team is also available to troubleshoot and repair, answer questions, and offer strategic technology advice. The company even handles website domain registration for the organization, and recently found them a more competitive price for internet service.
“BT Partners really does it all. I often serve as the first line of support for our staff, but for anything complex, and for all the little things that keep our system functioning, we rely on BT Partners,” says Gaskell. “It gives us a high degree of confidence that our technology is in good hands.”
Mission Critical Systems
Mount St. Joseph’s campus spans 160 acres, with six residential cottages. Each cottage houses computers running electronic charting applications which are continually in use by the staff. These computers and their network connections must be secure, up-to-date, and always on. BT Partners performs continual monitoring of Mount St. Joseph’s network, enabling it to quickly troubleshoot connectivity issues and ensure security protocols are in place and functioning.
BT Partners’ Managed IT Services team also works with a sister organization, St. Mary of Providence, keeping their IT infrastructure secure, reliable, and optimized. Since both organizations share the same Electronic Medical Records (EMR) application, it’s a tremendous asset to have one organization provide holistic support for this mission critical component.
BT Partners Managed IT Services’ Help Desk is reachable by phone or email, and Gaskell encourages the staff to initiate a call with their technology questions, concerns, or issues. “BT Partners is very responsive and helpful,” she says. “They never make us feel like we’re asking a silly question — even if we are!”
Above and Beyond
Two years ago, the organization was the victim of a ransomware attack launched through an email. “It crippled our operations,” recalls Gaskell, “but BT Partners stepped in and had us up and running again within 48 hours. Fortunately, they had configured an offsite backup protocol and were able to restore our operations quickly.”
Gaskell notes that BT Partners next arranged for internet security training for the staff and added additional layers of antivirus and endpoint protection solutions. “We felt they went above and beyond during that episode. They had our back and didn’t rest until we were operational.”
Access to the Best
Nonprofits like Mount St. Joseph require most of the same technology solutions as larger enterprises, but operate on much smaller budgets. For these organizations, Managed IT Services are an ideal fit, providing access to technology expertise far beyond what they could afford to retain in house.
In addition, organizations in the healthcare industry have strict compliance mandates surrounding how data is collected, stored, and accessed. Mount St. Joseph stores protected health information on its servers, so BT Partners created a technology infrastructure that meets or exceeds state and federal mandates, including HIPAA compliance. In addition, with a team of technology professionals continually monitoring network activity, Mount St. Joseph is confident its technology infrastructure is secure, protected, and compliant.
BT Partners’ experience in the nonprofit sector means the Managed IT Services team is able to help Mount St. Joseph navigate the unique procurement requirements of the industry and connect with specialized vendors who provide the best technology at the best price.
“It would be impossible for an organization of our size to have this level of knowledge and expertise internally,” Gaskell says. “They keep us informed of the newest technology surrounding performance and security, which helps us make the best decisions without having to do all the research ourselves. Having BT Partners as our technology partner gives us access to the best services out there at an affordable cost.”
Recommend Unconditionally
Gaskell says she wouldn’t hesitate to recommend BT Partners Managed IT Services to colleagues. “They are professional, reliable, and fast,” she says. “For any organization that relies on its technology as we do, having a Managed Services team is invaluable, and BT Partners is the best.”