Resources

Executive Summary:

Credit Valley Hospital (CVH) is a true innovator in the field of health care, providing quality patient care to the people of Mississauga and the surrounding region. In 2009, FlexITy engaged with CVH to upgrade an existing infrastructure network (wired and wireless) that was aging and no longer meeting the demands of the organization.

With two newly constructed facilities coming online in 2005 (Regional Cancer Centre and an Ambulatory Care Centre) and a new wing to accommodate inpatient expansion slated for completion in 2011, FlexITy architected and implemented a medical grade Cisco network for their expanding campus environment. This network has become the foundation for mission critical applications used by clinicians and staff and has been integrated with their existing wireless telephony systems.

Upon the completion of this project, CVH will offer leading edge technology to its patients and staff by providing immersive video and distance learning, unified telecommunications and greater mobility both within the organization and externally with its partners.

Business Challenge:

CVH was faced with the challenge of operating their business on an aging network that was beginning to fail in areas that could jeopardize their overall data and voice communications infrastructure.

The existing infrastructure was unstable and proved difficult to maintain in an efficient or cost effective manner. In addition, the network did not support key functionality needed to provide a converged telecommunications platform that offered enhanced communications applications.

Solution:

FlexITy architected and implemented a highly available Cisco network Core and Access infrastructure that enables common data, voice, video, and wireless upon which critical services can be deployed without service disruption, and a secure and structured point of access.

With new construction of the inpatient facility to be completed by the spring of 2011, the infrastructure designed by FlexITy was intended to easily bring on-line and/or migrate new areas of the operation as well as offer greater overall stability to the core. In addition to the core network, the wireless services have been upgraded and verified to provide organization-wide coverage with consistent service and access.

Project Highlights:

The Cisco LAN and wireless network infrastructure platform provides:

• A highly available, secure and high performance network
• Seamless integration with existing hospital network devices
• The ability to converge critical business applications such as voice and video onto one network while reducing operational efforts and costs
• The ability to enhance patient care through integration with location based services and nurse call integration
• The ability to expand communications throughout the LHIN

Results:

This collaboration between FlexITy and Credit Valley Hospital has increased the availability of mission critical applications, provided a common and scalable platform by which consistent service throughout can be achieved, and enhanced unified communications and clinical applications so they can be easily integrated within and throughout the LHIN.