Healthcare

Ramp Up Security and Improve Surveillance Monitoring

With round-the-clock activity, medical complexes have a high volume of transient traffic. Visitors and caregivers alike can be vulnerable to potential criminal activity.  HotPoint mesh routers can cost-effectively enhance security measures by extending surveillance capabilities almost anywhere. Wherever there is an AC power outlet - parking lots and parking garages, labs, walkways between buildings, courtyards, at information kiosks, public transportation waiting areas, and areas surrounding event venues - a HotPoint mesh router can route live images from a security camera.

As a broadband mesh network, a  instant network enables delivery of real-time video, allowing security personnel to monitor sites from any location. With low incremental cost, extra units can be located at common boundaries with local law enforcement's jurisdiction to greatly increase security and monitoring effectiveness.

Mobilize Resources

With HotPoint units, healthcare facilities can establish an instant network for transmitting critical data within the hospital. Battery powered HotPoint mesh routers can be placed on carts with medical devices and moved from location to location maintaining their network connections at all times.

Create Instant Internet Access Points

 HotPoint mesh routers are ideal for extending high-speed wireless access to

Ethernet Connections Anywhere

HotPoint mesh routers also provide an Ethernet connection for peripheral devices. For the first time, institutions can install hubs, printers, image scanners, and other devices in hard-to-reach locations to extend access to more users.

> NEW > SPRINT OFFERS NEW SPEECH-ENABLED MOBILE SOLUTIONS TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO PATIENT DATA

Sprint collaborates to give healthcare workers the power to increase productivity and improve patient care

NEW ORLEANS (February 26, 2007) — In response to evolving healthcare industry requirements, Sprint (NYSE:S) is working with key partners like Vocera Communications and Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NAUN) to offer speech-enabled mobile solutions that help hospitals, clinics and other service organizations streamline operations, accelerate access to information, reduce costs and improve patient care.

Today, Sprint provides an array of cost-effective mobile solutions that help healthcare providers balance patient care, operational efficiency, cost management and regulatory compliance. Information that was previously available only within the walls of hospitals can now be viewed remotely, in real-time on Sprint smartphones, saving critical minutes in life-threatening situations and enabling caregivers to function more effectively and efficiently.

A new example of enabling instant communication for healthcare workers is today’s announcement by Sprint and Vocera® Communications to work together to extend Vocera’s unique communications system to Wide Area Networks (WAN) by offering key Vocera functions on Sprint and Nextel handsets operating on both the Nationwide Sprint PCS Network and the Nextel National Network, an industry first. With this new solution, mobile workers, including physicians, nurses and the hospital staff, will now be able to communicate instantly with each other beyond the four walls of a hospital building, thus extending the workplace. Specifically this solution will allow a physician or attending nurse outside the hospital to communicate at all times with his or her staff wearing Vocera badges by using the walkie-talkie feature on their Sprint and Nextel handsets. The ability to communicate instantly with critical resources without being physically present in the hospital is crucial to making timely decisions that can save lives, especially during an emergency.

Patricia Skarulis, CIO and Vice President of Memorial Sloan-Kettering. “We look forward to the melding of Sprint walkie-talkie and wireless services with Vocera’s hands-free voice recognition applications. Memorial Sloan-Kettering expects that this merged technology will allow internal clinical staff and critical clinical systems, through text alert forwarding, to reach doctors, nurses or other specialists anywhere in our ever-expanding network of clinical sites and metropolitan area locations. We also look forward to the integration of Sprint wireless devices with existing Vocera devices which will allow for greater texting and voice options both within and beyond the walls of the hospital. "

Today, obtaining patient information is primarily a manual process – a physician first locates a computer terminal in the hospital or clinic, looks up the results, writes down the information, visits the patient and orders the appropriate care services, and then returns to the computer to update the patient record. To streamline this process, Sprint is working with Nuance Communications to introduce a custom speech-enabled healthcare voice technology that gives healthcare professionals wireless voice access to critical data including medical records. This new speech-enabled technology, an industry first, simplifies the workflow process by allowing physicians to access current patient information such as medication, lab results and patient status directly on their Sprint handheld devices, both inside and outside the hospital. With this technology, a physician can dictate his requirements directly to the phone and obtain current information. The ability to access information at all times improves the overall productivity of the caregiver and enables effective patient management.

“Healthcare organizations of all sizes are facing a wide range of challenges including rising costs, increased regulatory and reporting requirements, demands for improved patient care, and workforce shortages," said Bill Montgomery, national director of healthcare sales for Sprint. "Wireless technology, particularly the products and services Sprint offers in conjunction with technology providers like Vocera, Nuance and Meditech, helps mitigate these challenges by providing anytime, anywhere access to mission-critical data and improving the communications amongst caregivers, resulting in enhanced patient care.”

A Dynamic Difference

For medical personnel, instant access to important information and updates can make a significant difference in patient outcomes. For patients and their families, wireless access provides a way to remain connected during a difficult time. For healthcare facilities, the ability to easily and cost-effectively deploy ubiquitous wireless network capabilities can be a significant point of differentiation and an attractive feature for prospective medical staff, researchers, and the communities they serve.