Celtic Consulting's HIPAA Compliance Journey with Virtru for Microsoft 365

Celtic Consulting, a leader in post-acute care consulting, faced the critical challenge of ensuring HIPAA compliance while managing sensitive healthcare information across their Microsoft 365 environment. CEO and Founder Maureen McCarthy recognized the need for a robust email encryption solution that could seamlessly integrate with their existing Microsoft infrastructure.

As a partner to post-acute care providers nationwide, Celtic Consulting handles vast amounts of protected health information (PHI) daily. Their services, ranging from reimbursement and quality improvement to compliance and medical billing, all involve the exchange of sensitive data that requires HIPAA compliance.

"In our line of work, HIPAA compliance is the foundation of trust with our clients," McCarthy explains. "We needed an encryption solution that could work seamlessly with our Microsoft 365 environment while giving us the control and visibility needed for healthcare data."

4 Reasons Celtic Consulting Chose Virtru

After evaluating multiple options, Celtic Consulting chose Virtru for Microsoft 365 as their email encryption provider. The decision was based on several key factors:

1. Seamless Integration with Microsoft 365: Virtru's solution integrated directly with their existing Outlook for desktop and Microsoft 365 environment, ensuring ease of use for staff.
2. Comprehensive Data Control: Virtru offered granular security controls, allowing users to revoke messages, set expiration dates, disable forwarding, and add watermarks – all crucial for maintaining control over sensitive healthcare data.
3. HIPAA Compliance Support: Virtru's encryption capabilities and access controls helped Celtic Consulting meet HIPAA requirements for protecting PHI in transit and at rest.
4. Visibility and Audit Trails: The solution provided the necessary oversight and logging capabilities to demonstrate HIPAA compliance during audits.

Virtru for Microsoft 365 was deployed across Celtic Consulting's entire operation. It helped all staff members to securely send encrypted emails and share documents with each other and clients directly from their familiar Outlook interface.

Celtic Consulting’s Recommendation? “Get it.”

When asked what she would tell another healthcare company considering Virtru for Microsoft 365, McCarthy's response was emphatic: "Get it."

"Virtru has transformed how we handle PHI in our day-to-day operations," she adds. "The seamless integration with Microsoft 365 means our team didn't miss a beat in adopting secure practices. It's given us the confidence to communicate freely with our clients, knowing that we're maintaining HIPAA compliance at every step."

Celtic Consulting's experience demonstrates how choosing the right email encryption solution can address both security and compliance concerns while enhancing overall business operations in the complex world of healthcare consulting. By implementing Virtru for Microsoft 365, Celtic Consulting has reinforced its commitment to protecting client information across its diverse range of services, from revenue optimization to quality improvement and compliance, all while maintaining the ease of use of their familiar Microsoft tools.

The partnership between Celtic Consulting and Virtru showcases how technology can be leveraged to maintain the highest standards of data protection in healthcare, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure without impeding the vital work of healthcare consultants.