Carilion Clinic Heightens Clinical Mobility With InnerWireless’ Horizon
RICHARDSON, Texas — InnerWireless([R]), Inc., the premier provider of converged wireless solutions, today announced that Carilion Clinic, located in Roanoke, Va., has amplified clinical mobility by expanding guaranteed wireless coverage across its 2.3 million square feet to now include Carilion New River Valley Medical Center and Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital. Carilion initially deployed InnerWireless’ Horizon, a system that converges wireless signals and applications, into their flagship hospital, the 1.3-million-square-foot Roanoke Memorial Hospital, as an initial push toward total clinical mobility. Horizon converges WAN and WLAN services to ensure everytime, everywhere coverage for handheld devices, cellular phones, wireless IV pumps and fetal monitors, as well as wireless access to the main HIS and ambulatory systems in the three hospitals.
With Horizon, Carilion plans to replace 6,700 one-way pagers and is already utilizing more than 1,400 corporate cell phones to provide more immediate access to clinicians. Carilion plans to add additional applications, including VoIP and RFID for asset tracking, within the next three to five years, all possible due to Horizon’s scalability.
“As our hospitals move toward total mobility, it is imperative that our wireless devices and applications have guaranteed wireless coverage, a key deliverable that InnerWireless has already provided in our flagship hospital,” said Kendall White, senior director of IT at Carilion Clinic. “The deployment of Horizon was a strategic investment, benefiting the staff by heightening the quality of care they provide with quicker, easier access to patient information, increased patient safety, enhanced communication and more efficient processes. The positive outcomes from InnerWireless’ initial deployment led us to make the commitment to deploy its Horizon system in our other hospitals.”
Before deploying InnerWireless, Carilion installed discrete wireless LAN systems in areas as needed, but coverage was segmented and inconsistent. The hospital’s many types of building materials, some more than 100 years old, complicated matters by distorting or blocking wireless signals. Carilion wanted guaranteed coverage everywhere for all devices and a single wireless infrastructure that required minimal maintenance, so it turned to InnerWireless. Clinicians now experience improved collaboration because of enhanced communication and streamlined workflow because of quicker and easier access to patient information. This is leading to better patient experiences and more positive outcomes as clinicians have more time at patient bedsides, medical errors decrease and patient safety increases.
“Carilion is the epitome of the Converged Wireless Hospital. From the beginning, their leaders were squarely focused on being at the forefront of clinical mobility because they wanted to deliver the benefits of wireless voice and data communications to their physicians, nurses and patients,” said Chris Click, vice president of marketing at InnerWireless. “InnerWireless is proud of its role in helping Carilion turn its vision of clinical mobility into a reality, where today, even hard-to-reach spots within its 2.3 million-square-foot service area have reliable wireless coverage. InnerWireless’ converged wireless system meets or exceeds Carilion’s required performance levels, enabling clinicians and staff to carry out mission- and life-critical processes wirelessly everywhere, everytime.”