Melanoma Institute Australia partners with RingCentral for UCaaS

Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) has entered into a five-year contract with RingCentral to deploy a new unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platform across its 12 clinics nationwide. The new system, RingCentral RingEX, will be deployed in the last quarter of 2024 and will replace MIA's existing virtual PBX infrastructure. This change aims to enhance communication and collaboration across MIA's multiple clinics, improving patient treatment and experiences.

MIA's co-medical directors, Professors Richard Scolyer AO and Georgina Long AO, are leading the institute's mission to achieve zero deaths from melanoma within the decade. Both directors were recently named joint 2024 Australians of the Year for their life-saving work.

The multidisciplinary approach to melanoma treatment at MIA involves a range of specialists, including surgeons, medical oncologists, dermatologists, pathologists, researchers, nurses, biobank specialists and psychologists. Each of MIA's 12 clinics and research facilities has unique patient experience and operational requirements but must also collaborate closely to exchange ideas, accelerate research, and provide patients with cutting-edge treatment and support.

Ernie White, CIO of Melanoma Institute Australia, explained the rationale behind the change. "We needed a communications solution flexible enough to meet the individual requirements of each of our practices, while also allowing our staff to openly collaborate and share information across the broader team," said White. "We've also seen an increasing number of remote engagements with patients, but we have been unable to take advantage of telehealth advances with our current communications platform. RingCentral provides the ideal solution to address all of these critical needs."

The deployment of RingEX will include the RingCentral softphone desktop client for most users, complemented by the RingCentral app on personal smartphones to enhance mobility. White added, "As a not-for-profit, it's critical for us to streamline our costs. By using the RingCentral app, we won't need to spend extra on desk phones or mobile device hardware. Instead, our people can still be reached on their personal mobile phones via their office extension—and we can keep their personal mobile numbers private."

The robust features of RingEX, such as HD voice, video, messaging, conferencing, and efax, will provide an integrated team workspace that includes messaging, collaboration, file sharing, and task management capabilities. RingCentral's focus on trust, innovation, and partnership will enable MIA to centralise communication, resulting in better patient experiences and reduced costs through modern, secure, and reliable cloud communications.

"Melanoma treatment involves a range of specialists, and collaboration is at the heart of enabling these multidisciplinary teams to work well together," said John Poli, Industry Principal of Healthcare at RingCentral. "We're honoured to help MIA achieve their mission of preventing and curing melanoma to save lives around the globe."

MIA manages approximately 20,000 patient visits annually and receives 2,000 new melanoma and complex skin cancer patient referrals. Most of its operations are based in North Sydney, where the world's largest melanoma research and treatment facility is located.

The new system is expected to play a crucial role in supporting MIA's mission to advance melanoma research, treatment, and education. The organisation ultimately aims to achieve zero melanoma deaths in the coming decade.