Streamlining Document Management for a Nursing Home with SharePoint Migration

Background

A mid-sized nursing home faced significant operational challenges due to decentralized file storage. Over the years, important documents—ranging from patient care records to nursing forms and maintenance records—had become scattered across various staff members’ computers. This patchwork approach led to version control issues, lost files, no backups, and a general lack of being able to locate the most current version of a document.  Files were emailed back a fourth and sometimes personal email accounts were used.

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The Challenge

As the nursing home began to prioritize compliance, data protection, and staff efficiency, leadership recognized the need for a secure, centralized solution. They solicited quotes from several IT providers.

One competitor offered to implement an onsite server solution at a cost of $8,000. While this server would consolidate files, it came with notable limitations:

• Access Restrictions: Staff could only access documents from computers physically located onsite, or through complex and unreliable VPN software when working remotely.
• Maintenance Burden: The server required ongoing management, security patching, local backups, and power/cooling infrastructure.

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Our Sharepoint Migration Solution

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Rather than investing in costly and inflexible on-premises infrastructure, the nursing home chose to work with our MSP team to migrate their documents to SharePoint Online—a decision that transformed their document management process.

• Centralized, Cloud-Based Storage: All essential files were consolidated into a secure SharePoint environment accessible from any authorized device, whether onsite or remote.
• Secure, Role-Based Access: SharePoint Sites were created for each group that needed access making access and permissions clear. This ensured sensitive information remained protected, while collaboration became easier than ever.
• Version Control & Audit Trails: SharePoint’s built-in features enabled the nursing home to track document changes, prevent accidental overwrites, and quickly recover previous versions if needed.
• Seamless Integration: SharePoint connected effortlessly with Microsoft 365 tools like Teams and Outlook, allowing staff to collaborate, share, and discuss documents without switching platforms.
• No VPN Hassles: With SharePoint Online, remote access was as intuitive as accessing email, eliminating the need for complicated VPN configurations.
• Cost Predictability: The cloud-based subscription model meant no large upfront hardware investment and reduced long-term IT overhead.

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The Results

Within weeks of migration, the nursing home experienced a dramatic improvement in operational efficiency:

• Staff spent less time searching for documents and more time focused on patient care.
• Critical records were always backed up and available, ensuring peace of mind for compliance audits.
• New hires were onboarded faster thanks to clear folder structures and searchable document libraries.

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Conclusion

By choosing SharePoint Online over a costly and limited onsite server, the nursing home future-proofed its operations, improved security, and empowered its staff with modern collaboration tools. This case stands as a testament to the transformative impact of cloud-based document management for healthcare organizations—and why partnering with an experienced MSP makes all the difference.

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