Wifi Revolution

Memorial Hospital of Union County in Marysville, Ohio has chosen Extreme Networks (News - Alert) solution to help create a resilient, scalable, and secure wireless LAN system for its hospital. Operating hospital wide, the solution provides patient and guest access to the Internet as well as eased inventory management for the hospital’s IS staff.

 

The hospital was reportedly searching for a networked environment that leveraged the speed, reliability, and reach of Ethernet for both wired and wireless. The hospital wanted a solution that complemented its existing wired network and created a foundation for advanced applications for flexible guest connectivity.

 

Thanks to the cooperation between Extreme Networks, integrator NACR, and Memorial Hospital’s IS staff, a recent technology upgrade now enables the hospital to provide secure and flexible wireless access for patients and visitors.

 

In the future, Memorial Hospital plans to have wireless connectivity that supports clinical assessments that are performed by nurses with the use of tablet PCs. This enables instant information sharing and contributes to the accuracy of records. The staff also plans to implement wireless carts on wheels (cows), where equipment can quickly be rolled where it is needed for such tasks as bedside registration in the ER, computerized physician order entry, as well as equipment tracking for IV pumps and wheel chairs throughout the facility.

 

Carl Zani, director of information systems at Memorial Hospital explained that they required a Wireless LAN solution that would meet their criteria to be secure, reliable, and scalable for the mix of future applications they plan to support. Zani said that the Summit WM wireless LAN system from Extreme Networks really performs well and it provides simple management with impressive features.

 

Extreme’s solution features the company’s Summit WM wireless LAN controller and Altitude 350 Access Points, which offer ceiling antennas with a low profile design and an advanced set of features including strong encryption for authentication. In the event of controller failure, customers also have the option to be licensed for enough wireless coverage to switch to redundant systems for thirty days, without an additional licensing cost. The simple deployment of applications is enabled by Extreme’s solution, which ultimately helps better patient care on a 24x7 basis while providing access to doctors, nurses, and hospital visitors.

 

“Memorial Hospital is taking a smooth path to introduce wireless connectivity into its environment while minimizing disruption,” said Paul Hooper, chief marketing officer for Extreme Networks in a statement.

 

Hooper believes that Extreme Networks’ ability to provide a complete and scalable solution means that their customers will be well prepared for today and future wired and wireless requirements.

 

 

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