提高resident-centeredcare with Aruba mobile-first network slashes Wi-Fi help desk calls by 95%
USE CASE:Boost the health, safety and well-being of long-term care residents by mobilizing staff and resident experiences with modern, unified, reliable and future-proof wireless and wired network infrastructure while eliminating dozens of hours of troubleshooting time.
尽管周围社区致力于为符合收入资格的老年人和智障人士提供安全，高质量的长期护理居住地，但Sunnycrest Manor的现有基础设施过于过时。
"As our taxpayers expect Sunnycrest to furnish exceptional care, while maintaining financial sustainability, we faced multiple challenges," explains Nathan Gilmore, IT Superintendent Dubuque County, Iowa, which owns and operates the facility. "Although it started with automating healthcare recordkeeping, we uncovered other challenges along the way."
Wireless + Wired = Better Together
We moved from virtually no mobility to Wi-Fi in every corner of a historic stone-walled building, including the resident rooms, common areas, stairwells, therapy areas, cafeteria, administrative offices and outdoor green spaces. The positive impact on resident quality of life cannot be measured in dollars and cents.Nathan Gilmore,IT Superintendent for Dubuque County, Iowa
凭借整体的看法，吉尔莫尔（Gilmore）的团队意识到，SunnyCrest的基础设施更新可能会翻一番，以验证预期的全系统刷新。吉尔莫尔说：“我们的许多县建筑物，包括桑尼克雷斯特，都是历史建筑，有些可以追溯到1800年代后期。”“厚实的石墙和其他建筑组件会产生多年生障碍，以在我们整个企业中提供无线和有线网络。”
与他可信赖的当地伙伴紧密合作Managed Solutions Group, Gilmore included Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, in the solution evaluations. "Having a single infrastructure partner, with an integrated wireless and wired product line, was very attractive for gaining efficiencies to support our lean IT staff of five."
征服不断发展的挑战
At the outset, the primary mandate was mobilizing the cloud-based electronic medical record (EMR) solution at 100-employee Sunnycrest. "Prior to my arrival, the staff was provided with mobile carts," says Gilmore. "But the existing Wi-Fi was present only in the cafeteria and foyer, rendering the carts useless in resident care areas. This created paper-based records and re-keying."
During the process of establishing an implementation plan, Gilmore discovered Sunnycrest's portable telephony system was chronically unreliable. "This led to including VoWiFi in our deployment, requiring our infrastructure to be voice-grade," he says.
Hospitality solution saves the day
Sunnycrest's building architecture also negated a hallway-based Wi-Fi deployment. The solution came in combining standard802.11ac indoor and outdoor access points(APs), in the hallways and common areas, with compact hospitality APs in each resident's private quarters.
"At the time,the 205H was Aruba's most advanced hospitality option吉尔摩说:“。“这些创新单元包括three Gigabit Ethernet ports, one supplying PoE [Power over Ethernet], which we can leverage to plug in other IP devices without additional cabling back to the switches."
他补充说：“这种未来的防止将大大节省随后的布线成本。”“它还可以最大程度地减少我们布线壁橱中所需的开关端口的数量，并减少功率和冷却要求的相关减少。”
Aruba switches provide reliability, flexibility and scalability
On the wired side, modularity and flexibility led to the adoption of the5412R at Sunnycrest's core with 2920 switchesfor the edge. "We own multiple modules for the 5400R switches," says Gilmore. "The flexibility of the modular approach provides us with the capabilities we need today and options to meet future needs, such as upgrading to 40Gbps when our local provider finishes its fiber backbone deployment."
"For the 2920, we use a stacked configuration with redundant power supplies and additional PoE," Gilmore says. "It's a solid solution that's worked beautifully and quietly, with less heat and power consumption."
According to Gilmore, the switching experience is the direct opposite of the previous vendor's products. "In one case, we were down for 20 hours when a licensing error on a single switch 'delicensed' our entire network," he says. "Beyond the resiliency of Aruba products, having no software licensing and a lifetime warranty is a big plus."
Delivering Improved Resident Experiences
Today, the business and operational rewards from the new wireless and wired network are extensive. "Before, our computer systems were unresponsive and unreliable," says Cris Kirsch, BSN, NHA, who serves as Sunnycrest Administrator. "Now, they're fast and reliable. In addition to better patient care, this significantly improves staff morale."
柯希继续说：“例如，我们需要三分之一的时间才能完成强制性医疗保健记录保存，因为我们使用了EMR和移动推车。”“此外，我们的EMR指导护理以确保完成所有相关任务，从而降低了人为错误的风险。”
Stable communications via VoWiFi phones are also a joy. "Now, we communicate seamlessly," say Kirsch. "It's like night and day from before."
Securing vulnerable populations
The new infrastructure also enabled beefing up Sunnycrest's physical security with a new camera system. "The building's architecture impacted this deployment as well," says Gilmore. "We needed more cameras than would be typical for a facility of its size. Here, again, our new infrastructure ensured we could scale the camera system to meet our needs."
With visualization into every aspect of resident care, Sunnycrest staff has new insights on keeping quality high. "Viewing footage permits us to make fast, continuous improvements to care in a way that was impossible when relying on written notes or anecdotal recollection," says Kirsch. "Plus, incident investigations occur more rapidly."
Staff safety is also enhanced. "Our 24/7 care areas are located on the second and third floor," explains Kirsch. However, the front entrance to the building is on the first floor. With the cameras, our evening and overnight staff can see who is at the door with a glance."
帮助台电话减少了95％
从IT角度来看，网络的性能超出了期望。吉尔莫尔说：“从第一天起，基础设施就完美无缺。”“过去，我们中的一个人每周至少要花半天，三次，前往设施进行故障排除。自部署以来，这是零。”
What's more, IT no longer fields challenging Wi-Fi help desk calls. "Previously, Wi-Fi calls required expert diplomacy because people didn't understand why they could get Wi-Fi in the cafeteria but not anywhere else," Gilmore says. "Today, calls related to Wi-Fi are down by 95 percent."
Using ClearPass for Secure Access & More
Moving forward, the new infrastructure is enabling other upgrades. "This includes deployingAruba's ClearPassto unify user and policy authentication for both wireless and wired access," Gilmore says. "In addition to securing our network now, it enables us to incorporate other innovations, like IoT, later."
“ Clearpass和Aruba移动控制器他补充说：“借助Aruba的有线开关对我们的组织来说是一个重大好处。我们很兴奋地部署该技术。
Connecting Residents to Family and Community
最重要的是，居民经历大大增强。基尔希说：“我们人口的平均年龄约为60岁，比大多数类似的设施年轻得多。”“使用我们的新Wi-Fi，居民可以与家人一起使用Skype，而不是使用电话。当您看到您的孙子长大时，这是一种非常丰富的互动。”
"Facebook is another favored resident app," she continues. "This means Wi-Fi is enabling our people to be more connected to their communities. The interactivity benefits to a person's quality of life cannot be measured in dollars and cents."
