Cisco and Presidio Strengthen Global Network for Mercy Ships

In regions with limited access to healthcare, Mercy Ships operates floating hospitals that provide free medical procedures and essential health services.

The non-profit organisation runs two hospital vessels that provide care across the African continent and is preparing to expand its operations with a third ship currently under development.

“We're a nonprofit organisation and we have two hospital vessels that serve the continent of Africa,” says Grady Nichols, Senior Director of IT Operations at Mercy Ships.

“They provide free surgeries to patients that frankly wouldn't have the ability to access them. And we do this through technology means and all sorts of adventures just to get that to the people who need it,” he adds.

Each vessel functions as a self-contained infrastructure environment. The ships include data centres, communication systems and networks supporting onboard hospitals, living quarters and schools for crew and volunteers.

Sustaining such operations requires dependable connectivity and collaboration capabilities, which led Mercy Ships to work closely with Cisco and its long-term partner Presidio.

Mercy Ships builds technology partnership with Cisco and Presidio

At Cisco Partner Summit, Grady joined Carrie Palin, Cisco Chief Marketing Officer and Robert Kim, Chief Technology Officer at Presidio, to discuss the role of technology partnerships in building operational capacity for healthcare organisations.

Grady explains that his experience in the military and technology sectors made the Mercy Ships mission a natural fit. “It was key for us to have a technical solution to meet our critical needs,” he says.

“And we partner with Presidio to help us not only design and architect our data centres but to be able to bring in advanced solutions to provide to our doctors. And pretty much everything we do crosses through the Cisco technology backbone.”

Robert outlines the technical requirements that support these collaborations, focusing on reliability for real-time clinical applications.

“We needed to provide that level of resiliency, while making sure that the technology doesn’t get in the way of the clinicians,” he says. “We look to accelerate the speed of their work, so that they can spend more time providing patient care.”

Cisco and Presidio integrate core data and networking infrastructure that enables secure communication between ship-based hospitals and partners around the world. It includes Cisco switches, routers and VoIP systems supported by Webex teleconferencing.

These systems allow clinicians to connect with remote specialists and access medical expertise while at sea or in ports across Africa.

Cisco Technologies Power connectivity and access on the seas

Cisco’s infrastructure supports the transmission and protection of medical information generated on the ships, where delays or unreliable connections can affect procedures or collaboration with global clinicians.

The systems provide a foundation for accessing patient data and connecting with remote specialists via Webex.

Robert highlights the underlying purpose driving the technical deployment.

“The focus is never on the technology; it's about the mission,” he says. “So, we were fortunate enough that with the investments that we made, not only in infrastructure but also understanding data and applications and the whole healthcare provider space itself allowed us to understand what Mercy Ships wanted – and to have empathy for the final mission.”

Presidio’s support includes the HealthSense AI pilot programme, which introduces ambient digital scribe capabilities designed to support clinicians during consultations.

With Cisco’s backing, the organisations are addressing technical challenges associated with on-premise AI deployment, particularly in privacy and efficiency. “Especially in this new AI agentic world,” Robert says, “the iterations move so fast and we're no longer just partners and vendors supporting our clients, building things for them.

"We build things with them. And I think that's a big mind shift. But above all we want to keep things simple. The technology has to be easy to use.”

Mercy Ships values continuous support from Cisco and Presidio

Grady acknowledges the operational support provided by both Cisco and Presidio, which extends beyond the initial deployment.

“I couldn't shout out enough about Cisco and Presidio,” he says.

“Every time we’ve had an issue, there was an 800-number lifeline available day or night. And they’re always on top of it and willing to meet and assist us. It’s been a tremendous blessing to have that – and their belief and value in us. We appreciate everything.”

The combination of Cisco’s technology backbone and Presidio’s integration expertise allows Mercy Ships to maintain reliable healthcare delivery at sea and onshore.

As it prepares to launch a third vessel, the organisation continues to build its model of connected, data-driven care supported by trusted technology partners that ensure resilient operations wherever its hospitals travel.