Hospital turns to Spotwave to boost wireless coverage, providing reliable communications for staff and enhanced patient care
Dallas Texas, HIMSS Conference - Booth 13 - Feb. 14, 2005 - Staying competitive in healthcare requires employing a variety of advanced technologies to improve efficiency and provide the best patient care possible. Universal Health Services (UHS), one of the largest hospital management companies in the US, understood this necessity as they faced the growing challenge of complicated wireless coverage within their Northwest Texas Healthcare (NWTHS) facility in Amarillo. They needed a solution that would ensure their doctors were consistently reachable by cell phone to provide them ease of access to physicians to discuss critical patient situations. The information technology teams at UHS and NWTHS turned to Spotwave Wireless for a carrier-certified, cost-effective indoor coverage solution.
“Like all UHS facilities, NWTHS gives its physicians the technological and organizational infrastructure that enables them to excel in their specialties,” said Carl Flaherty, Director of Telecommunications at UHS. “The Spotwave team was very responsive and we were thrilled that they were able to help us solve our problem with a manageable investment and quick turnaround, with the only solution approved by wireless carriers.”
The NWTHS building is located in an area with limited coverage capabilities and with construction challenges that have impeded reliable indoor coverage. This resulted in a situation with dropped and missed calls for the physicians on staff and a communications reliability dilemma. Already the in-building coverage provider of choice for the UHS Corporate Data Center in Pennsylvania, Spotwave’s team quickly stepped in, determined the requirements, and deployed their SpotCell adaptive coverage systems throughout the facility, providing great coverage for the two wireless carriers that were predominantly used by the doctors in the hospital.
“Overcoming this wireless challenge at Northwest Texas Healthcare System was a perfect example of how investing in technology that improves staff communication and accessibility can provide an excellent return on investment, based on attracting and maintaining the best physicians and in turn increasing patient admissions,” said Moody Chisholm, UHS Group Director for Acute Care, in the southwest region. “Spotwave’s indoor coverage solutions ensured we could quickly and cost-effectively address this challenge head on, and continue to provide the best environment for our patients and staff.”
“We were more than happy to assist UHS and NWTHS in improving their on-site coverage and to give their employees the confidence that the tools they rely on to do their job are there when they need them most,” said Paul Tinney, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Spotwave Wireless. “Spotwave is providing reliable indoor coverage to healthcare facilities across North America so they can continue to use wireless technology to help achieve important business goals like improving physician communications, patient safety and workflow as well as ensuring the best coverage as these facilities migrate their clinical systems to wireless data devices.”
Spotwave Wireless provides carrier-approved, intelligent indoor coverage solutions that seamlessly bring the outdoor signal inside – ensuring that cell phones and wireless devices work reliably indoors. Changing the economics of in-building wireless coverage, Spotwave's solutions are cost-effective, quick and easy to install, and require no maintenance. Spotwave solutions are also backed by a range of comprehensive installation services and support and are now the preferred coverage solution in networks operated by the top North American cellular and PCS carriers. The company website is www.spotwave.com.
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Spotwave, Spotwave Wireless and SpotCell are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Spotwave Wireless Inc.
Jamie Crawford
Tel: (613) 591-1662 ext. 298
Email: jamie.crawford@spotwave.com
