IT Support for Multi-Location Dental Practices and DSOs

Running two, five or twenty dental offices changes what you need from IT. Problems that are minor in a single office, such as a different firewall at each site or passwords shared between locations, become serious risks across a group. The goal is simple: every office should work the same way, be protected the same way and get the same fast support.

Standardize everything you can

• Hardware standards. The same computer models, monitors, firewalls and switches at every office make support faster and replacements easier.
• Software standards. One version of your practice management, imaging and office software across locations avoids compatibility problems and simplifies updates.
• Network standards. A consistent network design at every site, with the same separate networks for office computers, phones, imaging and guest Wi-Fi.
• Documentation. Every office should have current records of equipment, vendors and internet circuits, with passwords stored securely, so any technician can help.

Centralize data and access

Many groups move to cloud-hosted or centrally hosted practice management so that charts and schedules are available at every office. Secure connections between offices, central user accounts and multi-factor authentication let staff work at any location without sharing passwords. When an employee leaves, their access to every office and system should be turned off the same day.

One help desk for every office

Staff at each location should know exactly how to get help, and the help desk should see every office's systems in one place. Look for a provider that offers live help desk support, remote and onsite service, and regular reports on tickets, response times and recurring issues across the group. That reporting helps leadership spot offices that need equipment upgrades or extra training.

Security and HIPAA across the group

Every location stores patient information, so every location needs the same safeguards: endpoint protection, security patching, email filtering, encrypted computers, monitored backups and staff security training. A HIPAA risk analysis should cover each office, and your IT provider should sign a HIPAA business associate agreement that covers the group. Our HIPAA IT checklist for dental offices is a useful starting point for each location.

Bringing new offices online

Growth through new offices or acquisitions is where standards pay off. A repeatable onboarding plan includes:

• An assessment of the new office's computers, server, network and backups.
• Migration of patient data and images, coordinated with the software vendors.
• Replacement of equipment that does not meet group standards.
• New accounts, email and security tools installed before the office goes live.
• Training for the new team on how to reach the help desk.

For new construction or a relocation, our dental office network installation team can design and install the network to your standards. Our guide to dental office computer and network requirements covers the details.

Vendor management at scale

A group works with many vendors: software companies, equipment dealers, phone systems and internet providers at each office. A managed IT partner that handles vendor management keeps those relationships organized, tracks contracts and renewals, and coordinates changes so they happen the same way everywhere.

Predictable costs as you grow

Managed IT priced per workstation and server makes budgeting simple: when you add an office, you know what the IT cost will be. Read more about managed IT costs for dental offices.

Common questions

Can each office keep its own IT company?
It is possible, but it usually leads to different standards, uneven security and no single view of the group. One provider with consistent standards is easier to manage and protect.

How quickly can a new office be brought onto our standards?
It depends on the condition of the existing equipment and the software migration, but a well-planned onboarding is usually completed in a few weeks, with most of the work done after hours.

What should a DSO look for in an IT provider?
Dental experience, a documented onboarding process for new offices, group-wide reporting, strong security and a signed HIPAA business associate agreement. Our guide on how to choose an IT company for your dental practice covers the questions to ask.

We support single offices, multi-location practices and dental service organizations. Get an instant IT plan quote or see the dental practices we serve.