Securing Healthcare Data in the Cloud: A Conversation with Oiva Health

In the latest episode of Cloudscapes, we sat down with Johannes Holvitie, Chief Technology Officer at Oiva Health, to explore the evolving landscape of digital healthcare, cloud strategy, and the growing importance of compliance and data sovereignty in Europe.

Hear the episode on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.

Bringing Care Closer to Home

Oiva Health, a Nordic-based healthtech company, is on a mission to transform healthcare delivery across Europe. As Johannes explains, their focus lies in two core areas: enabling digital access to clinical services, and digitizing at-home care. With a growing population of elderly individuals living independently, particularly in sparsely populated regions like Finland, Oiva Health is working to ensure equitable access to quality care through efficient, tech-enabled solutions.

“We want to deliver the best tools for professionals to use effectively,” Johannes notes, highlighting the importance of not just digital infrastructure but also its usability in real-world care settings.

Shaping the Future of European Care Models

What began as an effort to build alternative healthcare tools has evolved into a larger mission: helping redefine how care is delivered in modern society. As demand outpaces available personnel in many parts of Europe, digital innovation becomes more than a convenience but rather a necessity.

Johannes explains how Oiva Health actively participates in societal and policy discussions alongside institutions like Business Finland and VTT to help shape and export Nordic healthcare models across the EU.

Partnering with UpCloud

Oiva Health’s journey with UpCloud began with a shared mindset: building critical infrastructure with flexibility and resilience at its core. Johannes recalls that what set UpCloud apart was its co-development mentality and willingness to evolve alongside clients.

“We needed a partner who could help define and deliver infrastructure we can modify in real-time while running critical systems for our clients,” Johannes explains. Given healthcare’s strict requirements around uptime and data integrity, UpCloud’s performance and reliability were a natural fit.

Trust, Compliance, and Always-On Availability

Operating in one of the most heavily regulated industries, Oiva Health builds systems that must meet the highest standards of compliance, security, and uptime. But as Johannes points out, trust is not just about ticking boxes, it’s foundational.

“In healthcare, the trust you are given is absolute. You’re handling the most personal data people have – their health. You must protect it with transparency, security, and reliability.”

Availability is just as crucial. Systems must be ready when needed, with no room for downtime. That dual commitment to trust and uptime shapes every technical decision they make.

Regulatory Realities and the Rise of AI

Oiva Health operates under GDPR and medical device regulations, among others. Johannes highlights the complexities of complying with varied interpretations across different EU countries, and how ISO 27001 helps set a solid baseline.

Looking ahead, he sees artificial intelligence playing a larger role, particularly in natural language processing and assisted decision-making. But current laws limit fully automated decision-making in healthcare, putting innovation in a holding pattern.

“We could immediately apply ML in five to ten use cases and gain tenfold efficiency,” he says. “But we need the regulatory structure to support that innovation safely.”

A Thoughtful Approach to Cloud Strategy

Oiva Health takes a pragmatic, cloud-agnostic approach. With a mix of major providers and trusted partners like UpCloud, their goal is to streamline infrastructure while retaining flexibility. They lean heavily on tools like Terraform and infrastructure as code to stay adaptable and reduce latency by bringing services closer to end users.

GPU-powered workloads and AI models are part of their long-term vision, with a focus on maintaining control over sensitive data while embracing cutting-edge technologies.

Balancing Hybrid Setups and Business Needs

Hybrid infrastructure adds complexity but unlocks essential business opportunities. For Oiva Health, it means being able to meet the most stringent client demands without compromising scalability.

“It’s a business enabler. In healthcare, sometimes hybrid is non-negotiable.” says Johannes.

Cloud Strategy as a Shared Vision

Ensuring alignment between cloud strategy and business needs is an ongoing process. Johannes shares that their engineers often visit clients in the field to see how their services are used, and internal alignment is reinforced through shared vision, medical expertise on staff, and direct feedback loops from healthcare professionals.

“We talk to each other through the service itself,” he explains. “And that feedback helps us build better, more efficient systems that respond to real needs.”

Final Thoughts

Cloud infrastructure, regulatory awareness, and a human-centric approach are transforming  modern healthtech. This conversation is a strong reminder that, when it comes to health, technology must do more than scale. It must serve.To hear the full conversation, check out the latest Cloudscapes episode on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.