Robust IT systems pays big dividends
Robust IT systems pays big dividends
As the effective response of the ED at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, IA, to the recent floods demonstrates, the extra dollars required to invest in top-notch communications systems are well worth it, according to Rich Head, director of information services.
For example, he notes, the Cisco Systems Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system used at Mercy "may cost a little more up front" than a traditional private branch exchange (PBX) system, but that easily can be recouped. "For example, you do not need a separate cabling infrastructure for phone and data," he notes. "Plus, if someone has to move their office, you have no costs at all. You just pick up the phone and plug it into a jack in the new room."
The same thing is true with the wireless data system from T-Systems, he says. Head made the decision to purchase the more lightweight version of access points, which is more expensive but "much easier to expand and deploy." This came in handy when the ED had to be moved after the flood, yet was able to continue using its electronic medical system (EMR).
"It's kind of a shift of dollars. You spend a little more up front, but that is balanced out by ease of maintenance and lower operational costs," explains Head, adding that the total cost depends on the size of the network. So, for example, the ED space at Mercy (a 445-bed facility), which required 16 wireless access points, costs about $17,000 for hardware and cabling.
Resouce
For more information on electronic medical records and Voice over Internet Protocol, contact:
- Cisco Systems, San Jose, CA. Phone: (800) 553-6387 or (408) 526-4000. Fax: (408) 526-4100. Web: www.cisco.com.
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