Modern technology is critical to delivering quality patient care. When Urban Health Plan needed to upgrade their devices, we were on hand to help.
The Member
Urban Health Plan (UHP), a community health center (CHC) headquartered in the Bronx, was founded in 1974 and is one of the largest federally qualified health care systems in New York State. Their facilities include 12 CHCs, 12 school-based health centers, and two mental health care sites, plus multiple health and social programs across the Bronx, Central Harlem, and Corona, Queens. UHP serves more than 89,000 patients annually with over 430,000 visits across its network.
The Challenge
UHP needed to refresh their core network hardware and endpoint devices on a tight timetable without disrupting patient care. UHP also sought a qualified supplier that could meet their funding requirements and deliver a reliable, efficient upgrade process.
Our Results
We connected UHP with Derive Technologies, a New York State-certified Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) that provides discounts to CNECT members, and coordinated a competitive bid process supported by a local implementation team. Together, they developed a deployment plan that staged equipment in advance and scheduled all work to avoid any disruption to patient care.
Through this process, Derive won a competitive RFP involving 75 Cisco switches to modernize UHP’s network core and access layers. The rollout was planned around clinic operations, with 200 laptops warehoused and deployed on Saturdays so patients and staff were not affected. Refurbished iPhones were also provided to support workforce needs.
In addition, Derive assisted with a migration of over 1,000 desktops from Windows 10 to Windows 11 — those units were also warehoused, configured, and deployed over the weekend to ensure zero operational disruption across UHP’s facilities. A local representative delivered hands-on coordination across sites, ensuring steady progress and smooth execution throughout the project.
These efforts delivered meaningful results for UHP. The organization now has a modern, more resilient I.T. infrastructure supported by the newly installed switches and refreshed endpoints. The weekend deployment strategy maintained full operational continuity and uninterrupted access to care. Partnering with a certified MWBE also helped UHP meet specific grant-funding requirements.