After a product evaluation and one unsuccessful trial, Overlake standardized on Airespace Inc.'s Wireless Enterprise Platform. In 2002, this was a new WLAN architecture that leveraged a centralized controller with lightweight APs. A lightweight AP handles the real-time 802.11 functions of traditional APs, such as client probe requests and air monitoring. The centralized controller handles other 802.11 functions that affect an entire enterprisefor example, mobility across APs, quality-of-service (QoS) policies for users, intrusion detection and prevention, and other WLAN security mechanisms. Since our deployment, the industry has widely adopted the centralized architecture as an evolutionary platform from the traditional, distributed AP model.
The platform enabled seamless roaming across all APs and established a mechanism for centralized creation and enforcement of security policies across the entire hospital. We easily implemented wired-equivalent privacy (WEP) to provide a rudimentary level of traffic protection through encryption, and we're now migrating to the recently ratified 802.11i specification via an easy software upgrade. It also let us suppress the broadcast of WLAN service-set identifiers (SSIDs) to prevent unauthorized users from accessing our wireless resources. This feature helped us maintain privacy in accordance with basic HIPAA guidelines.
The system also provided built-in RF intelligence whereby AP channels, coverage area, and load dynamically change in real time based on altering RF conditions. This meant we didn't have to dedicate full-time resources to WLAN management. Currently, we allocate just a small portion of one employee's time to managing our wireless network; basically, our network infrastructure manager checks in every now and again to make sure things are running smoothly.
We began by delivering wireless services across nine departments, including emergency services. By the end of this year, I expect 95% of the hospital to be covered with wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), providing mobile access everywhere a health-care provider requires itwaiting rooms, labs, cafeterias, pharmacies, radiology, and other specific departments. We use 802.11 b/g technology throughout the hospital, because it operates in the 2.4-GHz band, which avoids interference with other medical equipment.
The first phase of our WLAN deployment involved giving voice-over-WLAN handsets to the nurses. The goal was to facilitate communications with patients, their families, and other staff members. The nurses noticed immediate gains, such as dramatically improved productivity by eliminating the need to return to their desks to make calls. This increased productivity by 15 to 20 minutes per shift per nurse, according to our best estimates.
The second phase involved deploying tablet computers with integrated health-care software for mobile connectivity to patient records, hospital pharmacies, and ordering systems, creating a completely portable office. In addition, we deployed five wireless carts equipped with Meditech software for bedside registration. This streamlines the registration process and reduces inaccuracies by eliminating the need to transpose patient information from clipboards to computers.
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