Why Zero Trust is crucial for achieving the Quintuple Aim
Past experiences reinforce the practical value of Zero Trust when it’s not just as buzzword but implemented with a governance mindset.
Over the course of my career in health IT and cybersecurity leadership, I’ve worked at the intersection of digital infrastructure, clinical operations and patient safety. From coordinating cyber operations in large healthcare systems, teaching cybersecurity as assistant professor and advisor to mentoring emerging leaders in the field, one truth has become clear – we cannot achieve meaningful transformation in healthcare without trust. And that trust must be earned, not assumed.
As digital systems scale and artificial intelligence increases, remote care and predictive analytics become commonplace, so do the threats and complexities that accompany them. Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) is one of the most effective and mission-aligned ways to secure this transformation because it’s built on the principle that access must be continuously verified, not granted by default.
Why Zero Trust resonates
Over years of working with a multidisciplinary health team in a high-volume treatment facility, I have found that phishing campaigns can compromise any healthcare device on our network. Documented breaches have changed how I viewed access. Even with well-trained staff and well-defined policies in place, unauthorized access to systems remains a significant risk.
Those experiences reinforced the practical value of Zero Trust, not just as a buzzword, but as a governance mindset. It forces organizations to ask, “Who is accessing what, when, from where and why?” And then, it demands an answer, every time.
Zero Trust Architecture aligns with how organizations should approach the Quintuple Aim.
Inherently human-centered security
Security should never be a barrier to care – it should be a facilitator. Even basic changes, like multi-factor authentication tailored to clinical workflows or segmenting guest Wi-Fi from internal electronic health record systems, helped both reduce risk and ease clinician frustrations.
A Zero Trust model isn’t just about locking things down. It’s about unlocking care safely. Healthcare organizations that treat cybersecurity as a patient safety imperative, not merely an IT concern, are those best positioned to innovate responsibly.
Too often, cyber governance is led solely by technical teams without adequate input from operations or care delivery. Successful outcomes have been achieved when governance boards include a blend of clinicians, IT staff, compliance professionals, and patient experience leaders. This cross-functional approach enables policies to be grounded in real-world workflows, not just theoretical models.
Hospital networks can implement access policies based on user roles and typical hours of operation, which could reduce overprivileged access while improving audit clarity. It’s not complex, but it is deliberate and can make a difference during an actual credential misuse investigation.
Trust and equity begin at the system level
Equity in healthcare doesn’t just mean providing services – it means providing secure and trusted digital access to those services.
In rural clinics, it’s common for bandwidth to be limited and cybersecurity resources stretched thin. If we’re not designing systems and policies with these realities in mind, then blind spots are being built into our infrastructures.
Zero Trust principles, when applied thoughtfully, enable even small or distributed facilities to implement meaningful protections, such as user authentication that adapts to risk levels or data encryption that ensures safety even across less secure connections.
At every organization I’ve been part of, the most important factor in cybersecurity success wasn’t technology, it was people. Staff awareness, executive buy-in and the courage to revisit outdated assumptions have always had a greater impact than any specific toolset.
The Zero Trust mindset only works if people understand it, believe in it and are trained to operate within it. Organizations need cyber education that is specific, scenario-based and integrated into operational training, not tacked on as an annual requirement. When staff understand why these protocols matter, compliance becomes natural, not forced.
Five practical steps
Based on direct experience with both secure operations and organizational transformation, here are five steps leaders can take today.
Build a Zero Trust governance team. Include clinical, operational and cybersecurity voices.
Map access by role. Understand who needs what and remove “just in case” privileges.
Educate continuously. Make cybersecurity training contextual and recurring.
Secure the perimeter and beyond. Ensure that endpoint and cloud environments meet consistent standards.
Engage the workforce. Involve staff in pilot projects and process design; this creates buy-in and surfaces practical insights.
Digital transformation only works when it is paired with ethical leadership and relentless accountability. Zero Trust is not just about denying access; it’s about protecting the promise of modern healthcare.
If we’re serious about achieving the Quintuple Aim, cybersecurity must be treated as more than a line item. It is a strategic enabler, a foundation of equity and a shared responsibility that begins with leadership and extends to every user, system and connection.
Trust, after all, is not a given. It’s a posture, a culture and a choice we must renew every day.
Dr. William E. Hogan, Jr., DHA, MIS, MPH, is a health IT executive and cybersecurity strategist.