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Remote and hybrid work is no longer temporary in healthcare. In a 2024 MGMA poll of 334 medical group leaders, 60% expected their share of remote and hybrid roles to remain steady, while 22% expected it to increase. Therefore, IT teams need a clear process to deploy secure remote access for staff, teams at new locations, and approved vendors without weakening controls around permissions, devices, or internal systems.
Keeping a secure remote access rollout on schedule is easier when the main decisions are made before configuration begins, such as who needs access, which applications they can reach, how identities and devices will be verified, and who owns testing and support. In this guide, we cover what needs to be prepared, who should be involved, how to keep the rollout on schedule, and where PureVPN for Teams fits in the process.
What Has to Be Ready Beforehand
Before secure remote access is deployed, a few key decisions need to be settled:
Users, Roles, and Permissions
Confirm which employees, contractors, approved vendors, and teams at other locations need remote access. Each user should have an individual account and a defined role that limits them to the systems and information required for their work.
The organization should also decide who approves access, who changes permissions, and how quickly accounts are removed when someone leaves or changes roles. Where vendor access is temporary, it should have a clear expiration date rather than remaining active indefinitely.
Identity and Authentication
Choose how users will verify their identity before connecting. This may involve passwords, multi-factor authentication, SSO, or an existing identity provider, depending on what the organization and its systems already support.
Compatibility should be checked before rollout, especially where older healthcare applications are involved. IT teams also need a clear process for password resets, locked accounts, failed login attempts, and immediate account suspension.
Applications and Systems
List every application remote users need, including EHR platforms, imaging systems, billing tools, scheduling software, file servers, and vendor portals. The application owner should confirm who can use each system and what level of access they require.
Testing should cover the tasks users actually perform, not only whether they can sign in. A connection may appear to work while a clinician still cannot open a record or an administrator cannot complete a billing task.
Network and IP Configuration
Confirm how the VPN will route remote traffic to internal systems and which firewall, routing, or DNS changes are required. Applications that accept connections only from approved IP addresses may also need a dedicated or team IP added to their allowlist.
IT teams should decide whether all traffic will pass through the VPN or whether split tunneling is appropriate. If an older remote access method remains available during the transition, it should have a planned retirement date.
Device Security
Set clear rules for the devices allowed to connect. Supported operating systems, software versions, security updates, endpoint protection, device encryption, and screen-lock settings should be confirmed before users are onboarded.
Personal devices require a separate decision because the organization may have less control over their security and use. There should also be a way to remove access when a device is lost, replaced, or no longer approved.
Logging and Monitoring
Decide which activity needs to be recorded, such as successful and failed logins, connection times, account changes, and user-to-IP assignments. Logging should be enabled before the wider rollout begins.
The organization also needs to assign responsibility for reviewing these records. Clear escalation rules help IT teams respond when they see repeated login failures, unusual connection patterns, or access from an account that should no longer be active.
Deploying Secure Remote Access Quickly
The exact timeline depends on the number of users, existing security controls, application requirements, and any firewall or allowlisting changes. The phases below show the order of work rather than providing a fixed completion date:
Phase 1: Confirm the Scope and Dependencies
Finalize the users, devices, applications, and locations included in the deployment. Required approvals, authentication dependencies, vendor involvement, and any firewall or allowlisting changes should also be identified at this stage.
Assign an owner to each task and confirm when testing can take place without interfering with peak clinical or administrative periods. Configuration should not begin until the scope and responsibilities are clear.
Phase 2: Configure Access and Security Controls
Create individual accounts, assign permissions, configure authentication, and install the VPN on approved devices. Dedicated IPs should be assigned where applications or firewalls only accept connections from approved addresses.
Complete the required routing, firewall, DNS, and allowlist changes before testing begins. Logging should also be enabled so IT teams can review connection activity and identify failed access attempts during the pilot.
Phase 3: Test With a Pilot Group
Choose a small pilot group that covers the main user roles, devices, applications, and locations included in the wider deployment. Test authentication, application access, connection stability, performance, session timeouts, reconnection, and account removal.
The help desk should record recurring login, installation, or application problems. Any issue that could affect the wider rollout should be resolved before more users are added.
Phase 4: Roll Out by Department or Location
Add users in manageable groups rather than switching the entire organization at once. The order can follow departments, locations, job roles, or shift patterns, depending on how the organization operates.
Send instructions before each group is added and keep support staff available during the transition. Track recurring problems so fixes can be applied before the next group is onboarded.
Phase 5: Review the Deployment and Resolve Issues
Review failed connections, support tickets, incorrect permissions, inactive accounts, and unused IP assignments after the wider rollout. Feedback from users and application owners may reveal problems that were not visible during the pilot.
Once the VPN is working reliably for the users and systems included in the rollout, remove unused accounts and retire the previous access method where appropriate. The organization should also schedule its first formal review of users, permissions, and connection records.
Who Needs to Be Involved
The table below outlines the main roles involved in deploying secure remote access and what each one is responsible for:
| Role | Responsibility |
| IT director | Approves the scope, technical approach, and major risk decisions |
| Project manager | Coordinates the timeline, dependencies, task owners, and communication |
| Network or security administrator | Handles VPN configuration, firewall rules, IP assignments, authentication, and logging |
| Application owners | Approve access levels for EHR platforms and other internal systems |
| Compliance or privacy staff | Review policies, logging, record-retention requirements, and regulatory considerations |
| Help desk | Supports installation, login, connection, and application access issues |
| Department leads | Confirm users, shift patterns, and rollout timing |
Minimizing Disruption During the Rollout
A phased rollout still needs careful coordination so access changes do not interfere with patient care, billing, scheduling, or other daily work.
- Plan Around Busy Periods: Schedule changes around shifts, appointments, billing cycles, and other times when an interruption would affect essential work.
- Set Clear Expectations: Tell each group when the change will happen, what they need to do, and whether their usual login process will change.
- Keep Instructions Relevant: Give employees only the steps that apply to their device, applications, and responsibilities.
- Provide One Support Route: Use a clear support channel and assign department contacts to escalate issues affecting critical systems or workflows.
- Review Each Stage: Check what went wrong after each group is added, then adjust the timing, instructions, or support coverage before continuing.
How PureVPN for Teams Can Help
Once the organization has defined its users, permissions, approved devices, and application requirements, PureVPN for Teams can support several technical and administrative parts of the rollout.
| Capability | Why It Matters |
| Centralized user and IP management | Add or remove team members, assign dedicated IPs, and manage accounts from one dashboard |
| Encrypted connections | Protect remote traffic while employees connect to work systems from outside the organization’s network. |
| MFA, SSO, and SCIM | Strengthen login security and support automated user onboarding and removal |
| Device and session controls | Use device posture checks and session activity reporting to support endpoint checks and post-rollout reviews |
| Multi-platform apps | Connect users through business VPN apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS |
| 24/7 support | Get assistance with provisioning, connection problems, and other product-related issues during deployment |
Frequently Asked Questions
The timeline depends on the number of users, devices, applications, locations, and network changes involved. A smaller deployment can move quickly when approvals and access rules are already in place, while larger rollouts need more time for testing, issue resolution, and phased onboarding.
Many EHR systems can support remote connections, but the approved method varies by platform and organization. IT teams should confirm authentication, firewall rules, IP restrictions, and any vendor requirements before the pilot begins, then test the tasks users perform inside the system.
A dedicated IP is useful when an EHR, firewall, internal application, or vendor portal only accepts connections from approved addresses. It may not be necessary when access is controlled entirely through user accounts and authentication, so the requirement should be confirmed before deployment.
Only when the organization allows it and the device meets its security requirements. IT teams should consider updates, encryption, endpoint protection, screen locks, local data storage, and how access will be removed if the device is lost, replaced, or no longer approved.
