With the increasing use of electronic health records in California and across the nation, Carl Elkins, regional CIO for Adventist Health, recognizes the value of clinicians, patients and visitors being able to communicate on mobile phones anywhere in the hospital.
Simi Valley Hospital, one of 17 hospitals in the Adventist Health system, recently tapped Extenet for a Distributed Antenna System, for its 144-bed patient care tower.
“As we move toward the widespread implementation of electronic medical records systems, reliable indoor wireless services like ExteNet’s iDuct will be critical to the success of these initiatives – here at Simi Valley and at hospitals across the country,” Elkins said.
“ExteNet met our unique needs for both thorough and affordable coverage, as well as discreet, efficient installation with minimal disruptions,” said Eslinger. “With this system in place, physicians can now respond to patient needs in a timely manner, and patients and visitors can keep in touch with loved ones – both important components of wellness and recovery.”
As Eslinger sees it, mobile phone service is a must-have for on-call doctors and medical staff, as they rely on mobile devices. Not only can they keep in contact with clinics and patients to ensure responsive care, they also receive ongoing access to important text messaging, e-mails, and other types of critical healthcare data. For many patients and their families who don’t use landline service (1-in-4 American households), mobile service is their only means of communication.
“It is not uncommon across America – people must walk outdoors to make mobile phone calls because it is difficult to make or hold a call with poor indoor wireless coverage,” said Tormod Larsen, ExteNet Systems’ chief technology officer. “This is not only inconvenient, but also impacts the quality of care – when physicians and medical staff are unable to make and receive calls inside the building, there is an increased barrier to providing optimum healthcare.”
ExteNet Systems’ indoor distributed network uses what company executives call “iDuct technology,” leveraging the Simi Valley Hospital Patient Tower’s existing heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, by carrying wireless signals through the metal ductwork.
Verizon and T-Mobile are already on the network, with other carriers set to provide wireless service soon.
ExteNet’s iDuct system uses only a handful of wireless probes (small antennas) distributed inside the HVAC metal ductwork. These probes are then connected to one or more base transceiver station hubs, and 190,000 square feet, including the entire Patient Care Tower as well as the Garden Level is lit up for mobile coverage.
