The Challenge: Urgent Cloud Migration at the Onset of a Global Crisis
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, organizations across all industries were forced to quickly adapt to remote work—but for healthcare providers, the stakes were especially high. Emblem Health, New York State’s largest health insurance provider, found itself in a critical position. With over 1,600 contact center agents tied to an on-premises Genesys system and legacy TDM voice infrastructure, the organization faced an immediate need to transition its contact center to a cloud-based, remote-ready solution.
This was more than a technology challenge—it was a business continuity crisis. The ability to communicate with members, process claims, and support patients was on the line. However, Emblem Health lacked both the internal bandwidth and the specialized expertise to lead a transformation of this scale, at the speed demanded by the circumstances. To navigate the complexity and accelerate results, Emblem Health engaged CX Consulting Partners as its strategic migration partner.
The Solution: Strategy, Speed, and Precision Execution
CX Consulting Partners quickly assembled a cross-functional team to lead the discovery, planning, and execution of the migration. The first step involved a detailed mapping of the existing contact center environment. This included cataloging over 600 toll-free numbers, thousands of direct extensions, and the corresponding routing logic—critical groundwork for ensuring business continuity during the transition.
Recognizing the urgency, CX Consulting Partners launched an accelerated RFP process to identify the best-fit CCaaS platform. In just 45 days, the team completed vendor evaluation, contract negotiation, and platform selection. That left 30 days for implementation, configuration, and training before the go-live milestone—a timeline that would normally span several months.
During implementation, a technical challenge emerged: some customer service representatives working from home had poor broadband connectivity, which threatened call quality. Given the healthcare context and the sensitivity of patient data, any degradation in service was unacceptable. CX Consulting Partners collaborated with the outsourced security team to modify firewall settings, allowing VoIP traffic to bypass the Citrix environment. This change significantly improved call quality scores (MOS ratings), while maintaining HIPAA compliance and securing the environment.
The Results: A Seamless Transition Under Extraordinary Pressure
Thanks to CX Consulting Partners’ leadership and technical expertise, Emblem Health successfully migrated 1,600 agents to a fully remote, cloud-based CCaaS platform in just 75 days. All 600 toll-free numbers were repointed, and the new system’s routing logic was configured to meet the organization’s operational and regulatory needs.
The transformation delivered tangible benefits:
- 58% reduction in telecom and usage costs, achieved by eliminating legacy TDM infrastructure and simplifying voice services.
- Improved call quality, even for remote agents in low-bandwidth environments, thanks to smart network routing.
- Full compliance with HIPAA and other healthcare data regulations throughout the transition.
- Operational continuity at a time when contact center access was critical for member service and claims processing.
Additionally, recognizing the volatile market conditions, CX Consulting Partners helped EmblemHealth negotiate a short 12-month contract term with the new CCaaS provider—an unusual but strategic move that provided flexibility during a time of uncertainty. Today, years later, EmblemHealth remains on the same platform, a testament to the success of both the technology and the partnership behind it.
