Editor’s note: Today’s post is by Randall Steffens, Chief Information Officer for Stallant Health and Wellness, a healthcare practice in Crescent City, California dedicated to whole-person care and wellness. Stallant Health chose ChromeOS devices to support staff, improve IT productivity, and streamline security.
“Instead of worrying about the management problems of expanding our technology deployment, I’m actually looking forward to it. Scaling to new locations and more users isn’t a problem with ChromeOS.”
Snapshot:
- Reduced device management time: Stallant Health successfully cut the time spent on managing devices by 50% using ChromeOS and the Google Admin console.
- Enhanced scalability for growth: ChromeOS has enabled Stallant Health to scale its operations effortlessly as it expands to new locations. The ease of deploying and enrolling new ChromeOS devices allows for rapid setup in new offices or facilities, supporting seamless growth.
- Strengthened security and compliance: By leveraging ChromeOS, Stallant Health has bolstered its security posture and ability to meet compliance requirements. ChromeOS’s inherent security features, such as automatic updates, sandboxing, verified boot, and data encryption, contribute to a more secure environment for handling sensitive patient information.
At Stallant Health & Wellness, we believe healthcare should be personal, welcoming, and even something patients look forward to—never a drudgery they have to endure. Our approach centers on the whole person, prioritizing time to understand root causes rather than simply treating symptoms. This philosophy drives not only how we engage with patients—through meaningful interactions and a strong focus on prevention—but also how we empower our team, providing the right tools and a supportive environment to deliver truly exceptional, holistic care.
To make that happen, our clinicians need to spend time with people—not tech support. That’s why we chose ChromeOS devices as a core part of how we run the practice. ChromeOS is fast, secure, and cost-effective. But most importantly, ChromeOS lets us keep the focus where it belongs: on patient care.
Technology that aligns with our clinical vision
When we launched our first Stallant Health location in Crescent City, we built it from the ground up to feel different, more welcoming, more connected, and more effective for both patients and providers. That philosophy extended across everything we offered: primary care, dental, mental health, and wellness services.
But our old technology setup didn’t match that vision. We were juggling 80 outdated devices that were hard to secure, challenging to keep updated, and a pain to manage. Our third-party device management platform was clunky, and staying compliant was a headache. All of it took time and energy away from what mattered most: expanding access to quality care.
A strategic shift from legacy systems to ChromeOS
Buying more of the same hardware wasn’t a good solution. Besides being expensive, it was overly limiting. Since we were already using Google Workspace successfully, we decided to try a handful of ChromeOS devices with our office staff. That trial went so well, we rolled them out to our providers, too.
We soon noticed the difference. Device management was a breeze. Staff could move easily between exam rooms with lightweight, portable laptops. Battery life was excellent. And fast boot times meant less waiting to get to a patient’s chart. Being able to access treatment plans and wellness materials at the bedside made clinical visits interactive and informative for patients.
On top of that, ChromeOS comes with strong security baked in—sandboxing, automatic updates, built-in virus protection, and encryption—giving our team confidence when handling sensitive data and meeting compliance standards with less hassle.
Security and compliance, without complexity
Our switch to Chromebook and Chromebook Plus devices made compliance simpler and more cost-effective. By integrating Okta Device Trust and USB security keys, we elevated our platform security to a new level. This streamlined compliance certifications, eliminated some awkward workarounds, and made protecting sensitive patient data more straightforward.
Even better, thanks to the reduced risk profile that ChromeOS presented, we qualified for remarkably low cyber security insurance premiums. This was a welcome, tangible financial win driven by better security infrastructure.
50% less time spent on IT management
What’s impressed me most as CIO is just how much time we’ve saved. We’re spending 50% less time managing devices. ChromeOS handles most updates quietly in the background, so there’s less disruption for clinicians. And with the Google Admin console, we can manage devices centrally and efficiently, without needing to add more IT staff.
Because Chromebooks are affordable, everyone gets their own device now. No more shared machines. No more associated headaches. That’s freed up our IT team to focus on bigger-picture initiatives instead of putting out fires all day.
Looking ahead: growth without growing IT overhead
We’re planning to open two more Stallant Health locations in Southern California soon. And instead of worrying about how we’ll handle the extra users and devices, I’m actually excited. ChromeOS scales beautifully. It’s secure, manageable, and cost-effective, even as we grow.
At the end of the day, technology should never slow down good care. At Stallant Health, we’ve built our practice around helping people thrive. And with the right tools, we find that we’re able to do that better every day.