Taking the Pulse of In-Building Wireless Solutions

In the healthcare environment, delivering the best in patient care requires hospital staff, nurses, doctors, and other personnel to instantly communicate and access critical data anytime, anywhere. In the past, wireless networks for healthcare were considered more of a novelty than an actual communications tool. Misnomers centering on medical equipment interference and security also kept wireless solutions from entering the medical arena. So, what has changed?

To start with, the proliferation and adoption of wireless technologies has created the demand for something to connect to inside hospital walls. Healthcare facilities now utilize wireless networks for voice communications, patient and equipment monitoring, asset tracking, point-of-care applications, and Wi-Fi access for staff and visitors. Most caregivers not only rely on these devices for communications, but also to provide health-related applications that bring instant drug updates, journal summaries, clinical trial results and other up-to-the minute information to a host of wireless devices instantly.

In-building wireless networks have also contributed to a better healing environment by helping to eliminate all those loud and annoying intercom pages – blasting and broadcasting notices for doctors to make visits to designated areas. Now healthcare professionals can virtually be anywhere on campus – even in those basement-level cafeterias and staff lounges – and receive pages without waking patients in every corner of the hospital. However, before healthcare institutions rush to build out their new in-building wireless infrastructures, there are several deployment considerations to consider for success.

Budgets and funding are the first concerns, especially during an economic downturn. Some of the smoothest installations have utilized both IT and communication budgets to purchase an in-building wireless solutions. This cross-pollination of funding also helps to achieve approval from different areas, easing the burden of project acceptance by other departments. When installing a distributed antenna system (DAS), healthcare intuitions can explore various options to fund the implementation, each with different trade-offs.

These options include:
1. The end user option- In this case the hospital, pays for the entire system.
2. The wireless service provider and hospital share equipment and installation costs.
3. The wireless service provider funds the entire system.
4. A possible combination of all aforementioned options.

Once the wireless network and technologies requirements have been established, implementation parameters must be considered. Some of these include:

• Dust control – tenting off work areas
• Installation schedule– avoiding obtrusive day-to-day deployment activities
• Use of existing cabling infrastructure – unifying as many communication solutions as possible, such as WiFi, cellular, public safety systems
• Union requirements
• Wireless service provider (WSP) engagement to ensure every solution meets their administrative and network requirements

Antenna locations and the number of antennas must be carefully planned. In the past, many hospitals shied away from the implementation of a wireless network due to concerns regarding interference with medical equipment. In reality, with a properly designed system, mobile devices use less power to locate a wireless signal; less power output from mobile device translates into a lower risk of equipment interference.

Security is always a top factor to consider when embarking upon a new in-building wireless solution. Healthcare providers must separate network authorization, segregating guests from employees. The wireless networks offered today offer a variety of security features to prevent unauthorized access to confidential and critical data and communications.

And finally, another major consideration for deploying a new in-building solution is to properly ensure coverage for first responders and other emergency personnel. In addition to 911 ordinances for new and existing infrastructures, there are various public safety frequencies to contend with and a good wireless infrastructure will have the capability to scale and encompass them all.

All these considerations may sound daunting, but in reality, the in-building wireless networks – when properly planned and executed – pay tremendous dividends. Two recent success stories come to mind, Scottsdale Healthcare in Arizona and Oklahoma City’s Mercy Health Center. Each healthcare center followed these guidelines to build and expand their communications infrastructure. A more detailed view into their specific environments and challenges will help illustrate and solidify the aforementioned installation points.

Scottsdale Healthcare, Arizona
Arizona’s Scottsdale Healthcare provides “personalizing health” to more than 800 beds and throughout its three state-of-the-art medical centers – Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn, Scottsdale Healthcare Shea and Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak. The health system’s award-winning healthcare services include areas of cancer; cardiology; orthopedics; neurosurgery, research, women’s services and Bariatrics.

When the 2007 construction of the Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak hospital started, it was decided to implement a highly advanced cellular wireless communications system that would complement existing, advanced patient care and medical technology systems. In essence, a new converged, wireless and wired network. The primary objectives of the new converged infrastructure included:
1. Fully support carrier independent cellular services.
2. Providers to include: Verizon, Sprint, Nextel, T-Mobile and AllTell – at a minimum.
3. Facilitate efficiency and productivity gains through use of the system.
4. Improve cellular voice/data integration between Scottsdale Healthcare staff, physicians and its patients and visitors.

In addition, it was imperative that the new building met the 9/11 ordinances – requiring antenna support for police and fire frequencies within the buildings, and frequencies for security personnel to use radio communications indoors. While the telecommunications and Information Services departments led the project, it was initiated because the physicians preferred to use their cell phones rather than their paging system while they were in the hospital and were concerned about the quality of service throughout the building. Also, increasing number of patient and visitors complained about their inability to get and maintain reliable cellular service throughout the building.

The organization realized early on that they needed help and guidance designing and deploying their new, in-building wireless cellular solution. They selected Cellular Specialties Inc.

Scottsdale leveraged its existing cabling infrastructure without sacrificing future scalability. CSI leveraged the hospital’s existing fiber back bone – that ran throughout the facilities – and augmented it with cellular repeaters, broadband antennas and a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) infrastructure. The new network operates at data speeds provided by carrier networks, with a future migratory path to WLAN if the hospital decides to take advantage of it.

Scottsdale was concerned about insuring the cellular wireless and their existing wireless and wired network components worked in unison. In order to achieve this, their partner designed a system where the radio frequency is received from the rooftop and sent into the hospital via coax cable then, redistributed throughout the building via a fiber/coax hybrid distributed antennae system infrastructure, which is connected to a series of indoor antennae. The system allows hospital staff, guests, public safety officials, and patients to send and receive calls and messages via their mobile phones, PDA’s, pagers and radio data devices while within the hospital facility. Most importantly, the system also allows wireless devices to operate at minimum power levels which – mitigates interference to the hospital equipment and extends the battery life of the wireless devices.

Getting the wireless and wired networks to operate together was a two-fold challenge that involved design and equipment placement. First, an effective system requires a detailed system design that takes into consideration the physical barriers in the hospital that shield the distribution of RF. These barriers include wall structure and density, X-ray rooms, and coated glass. The second challenge involves placing equipment in areas occupied by patients and staff – which meant planning and project management experience that is unique to working in the hospital environment.

The advantages of a converged wireless and wired network are low cost of installation, scalability, technological flexibility and maintenance. The result is improved quality of care, increased productivity, reduced costs and improved public safety. A healthcare organization’s IT staff need a peace-of-mind knowing that in the fact these systems are widely deployed and have no known disadvantages.

Today Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak serves residents of north Phoenix and Scottsdale, Desert Ridge, Cave Creek, Carefree, Anthem and beyond. The facility includes a 24-hour emergency room; inpatient and outpatient surgery; intensive care unit; radiology and cardiology diagnostic services. It also houses Arizona’s only Phillips Ambient Experience MRI and CT suites, which use surround sound music and projected visuals on the walls to soothe patients and reduce the need for sedation during these procedures.

Scottsdale Healthcare’s broadband network meets the growing data demands of today’s dynamic state of the art healthcare facility. More importantly, it meets the high expectations of the tech-savvy physicians, patients, visitors and staff. Now Scottsdale’s  award-winning medical facilities are complete with an equally impressive data and cellular wireless communications system. The investments made in best-in-class technology solutions are enabling the organization’s cutting-edge physicians, residents, staff, patients, and visitors to communicate more efficiently through always available – carrier independent – cellular infrastructure. More importantly, since all Scottsdale Healthcare’s facilities accommodate the use of mobile phones, laptops, PDAs and other data devices – they are well equipped to handle emergencies due to introduction of separate fire and police frequency.

Oklahoma City’s Mercy Health Center
With more than 2,500 workers and 800 physicians, Oklahoma City’s Mercy Health Center offers primary services for a population of more than 1 million throughout six counties, including: Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Lincoln and Logan. With a main campus including the core hospital and five medical buildings, Mercy Health Center has a history of spotty cell phone coverage in and around its campus.

For Mercy, in-building wireless coverage was particularly troublesome given the campus’ 1 ½ mile tunnel system that connects the hospitals. Given the construct of the campus, doctors and staff experienced intermittent coverage in the basement-floor doctors’ lounge, conference rooms and offices. Mercy Health Center selected Cellular Specialties to help address these issues.

Like most medical centers, patient care at Mercy is a 24 x 7 job where real-time, quality communications are mandatory part of the medical procedures. Mercy doctors rely on their cell phones and Blackberries as a primary means of communications to ensure quality patient care. Doctors and staff need to be available regardless of time or location – given the spotty wireless coverage experienced inside Mercy’s medical campus, they needed an in-building wireless expert like CSI which offers a range of solutions designed to boost the performance and call quality of in-building wireless networks. Products such as amplifiers/repeaters, in-line boosters, and multi-directional antennas are geared towards supplementing and expanding the scope of wireless signals in low coverage areas.

In hospitals, where medical staff are always mobile, real-time communications are mandatory to ensure patients receive the most efficient and responsive care. However, more often than not, wireless coverage typically drops off where it is most critical – in and around hospital buildings. CSI meets this challenge with its market-leading wireless solutions – helping these organizations take full advantage of their voice and data applications, regardless of location.

Leveraging CSI’s seamless, reliable wireless solutions, Mercy Health Center and Scottsdale Healthcare are able to take full advantage of their voice and data wireless applications. With CSI solutions, core benefits realized by these healthcare institutions include:

• More responsive and efficient patient care by having hospital staff accessible anywhere at any time.
• Increased productivity through seamless mobility, communication and information access. 
• Expedited response times of healthcare workers in emergency situations.
• The creation of a wireless-friendly facility that eliminates interference with sensitive hospital equipment without compromising critical medical devices.
• Reliable products and services supported by a decade of experience in the design, engineering and installation of state-of-the-art, in-building wireless systems.
• Knowledge of complex hybrid solutions such as WiFi and cellular communication.

Conclusion
In conclusion, every healthcare environment is unique and presents its own set of challenges. However, with a little advanced planning and thoughtful execution, any healthcare institution can augment their services and advance their level of care by introducing in-building wireless networks. To learn more about CSI, please visit www.csiwireless.com.