Analyzing the impact of AI and automation in IT.
There’s a growing fear that advancements in automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and managed services are putting IT professionals at risk of losing their jobs. The idea of machines and outsourced services replacing skilled workers has spurred concern among healthcare leaders and IT professionals alike. But is this fear justified?
The short answer is no.
Rather than eliminating IT roles, these innovations are reshaping them — paving the way for IT professionals to focus on more strategic, high-value tasks that directly impact healthcare outcomes. In fact, far from being obsolete, IT professionals are now more essential than ever to the success of healthcare organizations, and managed services and advancing technologies are only enhancing IT’s role in healthcare.
The misconception: IT positions are disappearing
The fear that IT jobs are vanishing isn’t entirely unfounded. After all, automation, AI, and managed services are transforming industries across the board. In other sectors such as finance and manufacturing, automation has led to reduced staffing in certain areas, and the rise of AI-driven solutions has many wondering if the same will happen in healthcare IT. Will machines take over critical tasks? Or will managed service providers make internal IT departments redundant?
However, healthcare is unique. The complexity of managing sensitive patient data, ensuring compliance with regulations, and maintaining the infrastructure that supports life-saving operations means that IT professionals aren’t just needed — they’re indispensable.
The truth is, the role of IT is evolving rather than disappearing. Automation and AI are certainly taking over routine, mundane tasks, but those same technologies are enabling IT professionals to focus on what really matters:
- Improving patient outcomes
- Innovating with new technologies
- Ensuring the security of critical data systems
- Implementing more strategic initiatives
Additionally, managed IT services have emerged as a powerful tool that complements internal teams to enable them to focus on the above, not replace them.
IT specialists are required, just like healthcare specialists
Healthcare IT isn’t just about maintaining networks and fixing bugs — it’s about managing an incredibly complex system of data, infrastructure, and security. IT plays a direct role in patient outcomes, from ensuring that doctors can access medical records instantly to safeguarding sensitive patient data from cyberattacks. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
As Walter Hirsekorn, Regional VP of Sales at ISG Technology, notes, “Healthcare lives and dies by the specialist world. You have specialists in healthcare, and it’s the same for IT. But you’re putting generalists in charge of the most valuable piece of your organization: cybersecurity and patient data.”
Just like with neurosurgeons and anesthetists, IT professionals are specialists, too, ensuring the systems that power modern healthcare run smoothly.
Hirsekorn’s comparison drives home an important point: IT professionals in healthcare are not generalists. They are highly specialized, focusing on network infrastructure, security, or help desk functions. Yet, too often, healthcare organizations expect generalist IT staff to handle critical tasks such as cybersecurity — tasks that require deep, specialized knowledge.
This is where managed services come into play. By partnering (and the key word here is partnering) with a managed service provider (MSP), healthcare organizations gain access to an extended team of IT specialists. These experts can handle everything from cybersecurity to infrastructure management to triaging breaches, ensuring that internal teams aren’t spread too thin.
Leveraging managed services for extra support
Managed services are about support — allowing internal IT professionals to focus on the areas that matter most to them. By taking routine tasks off their plate, managed services empower IT professionals to spend more time on innovation and strategic initiatives.
As Scott Stickler, Director of Marketing at ISG Technology, explains, “Managed IT services aren’t there to take a person’s job. They’re there to help them do what they want to do better, and take the stuff they don’t want to do off their plate.”
Stickler’s point is key. IT professionals are pulled in many directions. They must juggle daily system maintenance, troubleshooting, cybersecurity, and strategic projects. Managed services offer a solution, allowing internal teams to offload the routine work — like network monitoring and backups — so they can focus on high-impact initiatives like patient data analytics, telemedicine innovation, and improving the overall patient experience.
For many healthcare organizations, co-managed IT services provide the perfect balance, where in-house teams work hand in hand with external experts. This model not only ensures that healthcare organizations have the skills they need but also frees up in-house staff to concentrate on strategic priorities.
A balanced IT strategy is crucial now more than ever
While managed services help internal teams shift focus, they also play an essential role in addressing one of healthcare’s most pressing issues: cybersecurity. The healthcare sector is increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks, with ransomware representing a particularly serious threat.
According to data from a recent study by Sophos:
- Ransomware is expected to cost victims $265 billion annually by 2031, with attacks occurring every two seconds.
- The average cost of recovering from a ransomware attack in 2023 (excluding ransom payments) was $1.82 million, up from $1.4 million in 2022.
- 53% of organizations report that it takes a month or more to fully recover from an attack.
These statistics show that the financial stakes are immense, and recovery is both costly and time-consuming.
As Hirsekorn points out, “I’ve stopped using the term ‘cyber risk’ in business. I’m using the term ‘business risk’ because it is. It’s a risk to the business.”
Based on the situation in which we find ourselves today, healthcare organizations must be proactive about cybersecurity. Preventive measures, such as multi-factor authentication, email filtering, and endpoint detection are far more cost-effective than recovering from an attack. Managed service providers bring expertise and up-to-date security protocols to healthcare organizations, reducing the likelihood of breaches and ensuring that recovery is swift and efficient when incidents occur.
The future of in-house IT roles
IT roles are not going extinct in healthcare — they are evolving alongside technological advancements like AI, automation, and managed services. Healthcare leaders should see this evolution as an opportunity to empower their IT teams to focus on innovation and strategic initiatives, while partnering with managed service providers to handle the routine tasks.
By working with ISG Technology, healthcare organizations can harness the power of co-managed IT services, freeing their internal teams to focus on what matters most: improving patient experiences and driving innovation.
Explore how managed IT services can elevate your in-house team — schedule a consultation with ISG Technology today.