Ingalls Memorial Hospital Signs ARINC to Install New Wireless Medical Data NetworkFebruary 21, 2008Annapolis, Maryland—Monitoring the delivery of patient medications will soon get a lot easier at Ingalls Memorial Hospital, an award-winning medical center located south of Chicago. Ingalls Health System, which operates the private 564-bed facility, has awarded ARINC Incorporated a contract to design and install a private wireless network to speed access to medical data where it’s needed. ARINC has already finished a site survey, and the company plans to stage equipment for installation soon. The new data system is planned to be operational at the main hospital in May. It should eliminate much bedside paperwork for doctors and nurses, while it speeds care delivery and enhances the reliability of patient medical records. It is one of the first systems in the United States to be based on the newest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11N. “We are moving forward as the technology permits to ensure patient safety and enhance the quality of care Ingalls provides,” stated Ingalls Chief Financial Officer Vince Pryor. “One of Ingalls’ core values is to seek innovative approaches to delivering high quality patient care for the communities we serve, by leveraging technology in our healthcare environment.” After completion of radio-frequency coverage tests, ARINC will deploy the private data network consisting of several hundred Wi-Fi access points throughout the main campus, as well as other Ingalls facilities in Tinley Park and Calumet City. The hospital also plans to offer public Wi-Fi access in its cafeteria and other public areas. “ARINC is delighted to be named wireless infrastructure partner for Ingalls Health System,” stated Richard J. Carroll, ARINC Senior Director, Healthcare IT Infrastructure. “We will be fast-tracking this project, and we fully expect the hospital and staff to realize significant benefits very quickly from this system—as soon as summer.” The first application for the new network will be to check on the hospital’s administration of medicines to patients. Accurate electronic tracking of patient medications, using barcodes and scanners, will collect data on the medication types, times, and dosages. Later applications will include technology at the bedside to give physicians and nurses access to clinical information, and enable them to enter orders and documentation. The design for the Ingalls Memorial network is highly secure and reliable, with capacity for the future introduction of VoIP (voice over IP) service to improve communications within the facility. VoIP can deliver fast, facility-wide voice communications and paging. The level of technology called for in the network—802.11N—offers enhanced Wi-Fi signal coverage and capacity. Ingalls has selected the 802.11N product line from Alcatel-Lucent as the basis for its network infrastructure. Ingalls Memorial Hospital is an independent community medical center providing an outstanding range of general and specialist medical care. The 564-bed main campus admits approximately 20,000 patients and performs nearly 4,000 inpatient surgeries a year. It is a state designated emergency medical services hub, and is consistently named among America’s 50 best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. The Ingalls Health System also operates several comprehensive outpatient campuses in the south Chicago suburbs. For more information, visit the web site at www.IngallsHealthSystem.org. ARINC Incorporated, a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, provides communications, engineering and integration solutions for commercial, defense and government customers worldwide. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland with regional offices in London and Singapore, ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 certified. Release: 08-24 Brand Management & Communications |
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