Cerner vs Salesforce Health Cloud

Cerner, founded in 1979 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is one of the most established names in healthcare IT. Over the decades, they built a comprehensive suite of role-oriented solutions that serve providers, patients, employers, government agencies, and researchers. At the center of their platform is a robust electronic health record (EHR) system that connects clinical documentation, scheduling, patient portals, and education resources. They also provide advanced revenue cycle management, population health tools, and analytics powered by their Lights On Network®, which delivers real-time dashboards and benchmarking.
Beyond clinical and financial functions, Cerner has offered managed services through partnerships with AWS, SaaS products like Cerner Millennium® and Soarian®, and tiered customer support that ranges from help desk services to specialized engineering assistance. Their focus on security and compliance, backed by ISO 9001:2000 certification and an A+ Better Business Bureau accreditation, reflects a long-standing commitment to quality.

Salesforce, founded in 1999 and headquartered in San Francisco, has become one of the world’s leading cloud-based CRM providers, and with Health Cloud, they bring that expertise into the healthcare sector. The platform is designed to give providers, payers, and life sciences organizations a complete picture of each patient through Patient 360, combining clinical, demographic, and social data in one place. It also offers predictive analytics powered by AI, omnichannel communication tools, and customizable workflows that allow organizations to adapt the system to their own processes. One of their distinguishing strengths is the availability of industry-specific modules that address the needs of providers, insurers, and public health organizations, making it a flexible solution that scales effectively from small practices to global health networks. Customers often highlight their integration with the broader Salesforce ecosystem, strong analytics capabilities, and adaptability, while concerns typically focus on higher costs, longer implementation timelines, and the need for technical expertise to fully customize the platform. Supported by continuous innovation, robust training resources like Trailhead, and recognition from industry analysts, Health Cloud positions themselves as a forward-looking solution for healthcare organizations aiming to improve patient engagement, streamline operations, and drive digital transformation.