Healthcare Organizations Prioritize Networking Modernization Efforts

Healthcare Organizations Need More Networking ‘Horsepower’

Upgrading the Wi-Fi network should be a central piece of any healthcare organization’s plans to modernize its technology infrastructure, says Philip Bradley, digital health strategist at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.

The demand for greater coverage and bandwidth will only grow in response to new wireless clinical applications and the increased capabilities of mobile workstations, handheld medical devices and other tools, Bradley says. Upgraded networks can also speed the expansion of initiatives such as virtual care and hospital-at-home programs, he adds.

“Doctors are going to expect to access digital pathology files that are as big as a three-hour movie from a device in their pocket,” Bradley says. “Patients want to maintain contact with their practitioners and the people in their lives. All of that takes more horsepower in the Wi-Fi network.”

Some of these capabilities will be available through Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7 and even 5G cellular technologies in modernized wireless networks, he says. Along with increased levels of service, upgrading will produce more secure virtual network configurations and enable more effective Wi-Fi management.

However, healthcare has been relatively slow to upgrade Wi-Fi because of cost considerations and a shortage of the skill sets needed to manage the new networks, he adds.

“You obviously need to have a strategy to find those resources, but the focus has to be on the value of the upgrade to the organization, and ultimately to patients,” Bradley says.

READ MORE: Understand Wi-Fi 6E and the future of networking.

Atlantic Health System Makes a Strategic Shift

The upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 allowed Atlantic Health to increase capacity for many more connected devices and applications, Nasir says. The strength of the network has also significantly reduced connectivity issues on internal and guest networks.

“Expanded capacity is crucial in a healthcare environment, where the number of connected devices is exploding and where seamless communication can be a matter of life and death,” he says.

The Juniper Mist platform’s indoor location services based on Bluetooth low energy opened up possibilities beyond connectivity; Atlantic Health plans to leverage the technology for a real-time location system for physical assets in facilities, Nasir says.

The network modernization project spanned two years and involved installing over 4,000 new access points across more than 250 sites.

The IT team approached this challenge with a carefully planned strategy, Nasir says, beginning with the health system’s smallest hospital. Ensuring seamless roaming between legacy and new networks was a priority at each stage, and the previous network was maintained until the new infrastructure had been rigorously tested.

“Start with small sites and test, test, test. The aim is to minimize the impact on patient care and services and to address any issues as you go along,” Nasir says.

Cross-functional collaboration with clinical, business and facilities staff was paramount to the modernization project.

“This upgrade was a strategic imperative addressing two critical needs: bolstering our cybersecurity defenses and streamlining IT management,” Nasir says. “By anticipating future technological demands, we’re not just protecting our systems more robustly. We’re freeing our IT team to focus on innovations that directly enhance patient care and operational efficiency."

Prima CARE Experiences Better Security and Fewer Complaints

For New England-based primary and specialty care provider Prima CARE, a cybersecurity event in 2019 spurred the need for security and performance network upgrades, says Director of Operations Kevin Andrade.

He and his team first focused on replacing the legacy wired network with technology from Extreme Networks. In 2022, they continued with a deployment of a new Extreme Wi-Fi 6E network to 13 sites in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Prima CARE is a network of more than 160 providers, along with laboratory, imaging and testing facilities.

“We had lots of complaints about spotty coverage. The old Wi-Fi management software constantly failed and couldn’t show us where signal weaknesses were,” Andrade says. “It was only going to become a bigger problem as medical applications were leaning toward mobility.”

CONSIDER: How do network assessments support healthcare modernization?

The new wireless deployment took six months, starting with installing 60 new switches and upgrading to the Extreme Switching software. An Extreme tool then identified optimal access point placement for each site, Andrade adds.

The Prima CARE wireless network is segmented by business and clinical function, and each practice is further isolated on its own virtual LAN for privacy and security. The provider has more comprehensive visibility into its network.

“Since the Wi-Fi upgrade, security is much improved. We’re getting a lot fewer complaints about coverage, and cloud management services mean that our staff can oversee the network from wherever they are,” Andrade says.

For organizations considering an upgrade, Andrade highlights the need for proven experience and reliable maintenance from a vendor.

“You have to budget for support and persuade the business side of the organization that it’s important,” he says. “You’re not just buying equipment. You’re buying expertise and peace of mind.”

Novant Health Plans for the Future of Its Networking Needs

As an integrated network of medical centers and physicians’ practices at more than 800 sites in North and South Carolina, Novant Health recognizes the importance of investing in the technology, training and technical support needed to help care teams work effectively and efficiently, says Robert Hale, director of infrastructure and communications.

Novant Health recently deployed an Extreme Wi-Fi 6E network as part of that commitment. “Our Wi-Fi network modernization is one example of how we not only meet but exceed the ever-changing expectations for connectivity,” Hale says.

The driver for the move to Wi-Fi 6E was the availability of a new spectrum of frequencies, allowing Novant Health to add its most important and demanding devices and applications to an interference-free network, Hale says.

“We wanted to extend the lifetime of our access points by purchasing the newest technologies available, and also prepare for future projects that will require significantly more bandwidth and an increase in devices per access point,” he says.

Hale cautions that not all devices are compatible with Wi-Fi 6E because the technology is relatively new. “As devices are upgraded and refreshed, however, the impact of the Wi-Fi improvement will be seen exponentially,” he adds.

With the upgrade, care teams have better and faster access to medical information, such as imaging and test results, which can help reduce the time to deliver a diagnosis, he says.

“Every decision in a network upgrade should be based on the ability to create remarkable outcomes and experiences for our patients,” Hale says. “Consider which of your devices and applications are most important and build your modernization plan around them.”