Based on a recent discussion between BlueStar’s Thomas Duparque and BIQ Health’s International Sales Director, Hélder Ribeiro.
Healthcare is changing fast. Hospitals are under pressure to deliver safer care, reduce errors, and streamline workflows without overloading clinical staff. For resellers, this creates both opportunity and responsibility. They need proven solutions that plug directly into the realities of busy wards, evolving regulations, and stretched IT teams.
In a recent conversation, Thomas Duparque, Business Development Manager for BlueStar’s VARMED Healthcare Program, sat down with BIQ Health, one of the software partners in BlueStar’s ecosystem, to talk about digital transformation inside hospitals across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The insights they shared highlight exactly why BlueStar is such a critical partner for any reseller entering the healthcare space.
The Healthcare Gap Resellers Can Help Close
According to BIQ’s Hélder Ribeiro, hospitals still show a wide maturity gap when it comes to digital processes. Some are fully electronic with CPOE and mobile workflows. Others are still writing prescriptions on paper.
This gap fuels major challenges, especially around patient safety, medication errors, and traceability.
BIQ sees three areas where hospitals need immediate help:
These challenges are not new. What is new is that hospitals now have access to modern, mobile-first solutions that reduce errors, eliminate duplicated tasks, and help clinicians save time at the bedside.
This is where resellers and their partners come in.
BlueStar’s VARMED Program: A Practical Healthcare Partner for Resellers
Thomas opened the conversation by reminding listeners that BlueStar is far more than a distributor. BlueStar acts as a value-added partner, supporting resellers with curated healthcare solutions, specialized knowledge, and a full ecosystem that reduces deployment friction.
In healthcare, where the stakes are high and workflows are complex, this matters.
Why resellers rely on BlueStar in healthcare:
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Specialized healthcare expertise. Thomas and the VARMED team understand clinical environments and the constraints hospital IT teams face.
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A vetted portfolio of medical-grade hardware, mobility tools, printers, wristband systems, and peripherals that meet infection control and regulatory requirements.
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Integration support for technologies that must work seamlessly inside EMR-heavy environments.
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A partner ecosystem of software vendors like BIQ that turn hardware into full, ready-to-deploy solutions.
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Hands-on assistance during assessment, solution design, implementation planning, and go-live.
This is the difference between selling products and enabling a full healthcare transformation.
BIQ: A Supporting Partner Driving Closed Loop Safety
While the spotlight is on BlueStar, BIQ plays an important supporting role in illustrating what “great looks like” in the VARMED ecosystem.
BIQ, founded in 1998, is a software developer dedicated exclusively to healthcare. Their mobile-first platform, MAP, acts as an extension of the hospital’s EMR to support:
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Medication administration validation (PharmaTrac)
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Blood transfusion validation (BTrac)
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Sample collection safety (LabTrac)
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Nursing workflows and documentation (CareTrac)
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Logistics and hospital operations
Their focus is simple: ensure the right care, for the right patient, at the right time.
This aligns perfectly with BlueStar’s mission to help resellers bring safe, efficient, and scalable healthcare solutions to the market.
How BlueStar Adds Value to BIQ Implementations
Hélder was clear on this point. Hardware choices directly impact whether a healthcare project succeeds or fails.
“A bad choice of hardware can ruin an implementation.”
— Hélder Ribeiro, BIQ Health
BlueStar solves this with:
1. A medical-grade hardware portfolio
From mobile computers to rugged tablets, printers, wristbands, and antibacterial casings, BlueStar provides the devices BIQ customers rely on.
2. Expertise in matching hardware to clinical workflows
Nurses need devices that are fast, durable, easy to disinfect, and able to withstand long shifts. BlueStar ensures resellers deliver hardware that makes the software shine.
3. Seamless synergy with BIQ’s software
Because BlueStar knows BIQ’s requirements, resellers don’t need to guess. They can rely on the VARMED team to recommend devices that align with mobility, battery life, connectivity, and scanning needs.
This partnership gives resellers confidence and shortens implementation timelines.
Helping Hospitals Reach HIMSS EMRAM Certification
One of the strongest value points raised in the conversation was BIQ’s contribution to helping hospitals reach HIMSS EMRAM Level 5 and above.
To go beyond Level 5, hospitals must have validated closed-loop processes for medication, transfusion, and labs.
BIQ’s MAP platform supports all of these requirements, and several hospitals using BIQ have already reached EMRAM Level 7, the highest accreditation.
Because BlueStar supports the hardware foundation and ecosystem around these workflows, resellers become the bridge that helps hospitals achieve measurable clinical excellence.
Why This Matters for Resellers
Healthcare is a sector built on trust. Resellers need the right mix of:
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Knowledge
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Partners
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Hardware
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Integration support
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Software ecosystems
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Long-term reliability
BlueStar provides this foundation through its VARMED program.
Partnering with BlueStar means resellers can enter the healthcare market with confidence, knowing they are backed by a team that understands clinical needs, regulatory realities, and the entire technology chain required to support patient safety.
The Future: Mobility, 5G, and Real-Time Data
A major trend highlighted in the discussion was the shift toward Wi-Fi plus 5G mobility, allowing clinicians to work anywhere, even outside traditional hospital walls.
BIQ already supports this, and BlueStar’s device portfolio is designed to help resellers meet these needs with secure, professional-grade mobility solutions.
Real-time dashboards and analytics are another area where hospitals expect growth. BIQ’s dashboards help hospitals identify near-misses, track closed-loop performance, and make data-backed improvements. BlueStar helps resellers deliver the devices and infrastructure that make this possible.
If You Are a Reseller Entering Healthcare, Where Should You Start?
Thomas wrapped up the discussion with a simple recommendation:
Start with the pain point.
Hospitals rarely adopt every module or every solution at once. Their priorities vary, and BlueStar’s sales team helps resellers identify the right starting point, whether that is:
From there, the solution scales.
Final Thoughts
BlueStar’s healthcare program brings together hardware, software, healthcare expertise, and real clinical support so resellers can confidently deploy solutions that improve safety and efficiency inside hospitals.
BIQ Health is one example of a strong partner within that ecosystem, but the real story is the value BlueStar provides as the connector, the enabler, and the specialist guiding resellers through healthcare complexity.
If your customers are exploring digital transformation in hospitals, the VARMED team can help you design, build, and deliver complete solutions that make an impact.
