Health Care Environments Add Complexity To Wireless LAN Deployments
Additional Planning Necessary for Hospital, Health Care Installations and Upgrades
Hospitals and health care facilities seek to improve processes and services using wireless networking technology. However, hospitals are challenging environments for the deployment of wireless networks. These challenging environments are often comprised of large, multi-level buildings, constructed at different time periods over decades. There are additional challenges imposed by the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), and federal, state and local authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs).
A key component in health care installations is adherence to infection control measures. Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) procedures, as specified JCAHO, restrict access to the air handling space (plenum) above the suspended ceiling. Procedures may restrict the number of ceiling tiles that can be removed, how long they are removed, and procedures for cleaning the air and personnel in the work area.
By using enclosures to mount wireless access points in a suspended ceiling, time and labor involved in meeting ICRA procedures can be reduced. The enclosure provides a means by which technicians can access wireless LAN access points from the room space, without exposing the air handling (plenum) space during moves, adds, and changes (MACs) in the wireless deployment.
Additionally, article 300.22 of the National Electric Code (N.E.C.) specifies that unlisted equipment installed in the air handling space above a suspended ceiling shall be secured in a metal enclosure, accessible via an opening panel or door.
A case study of the installation at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital provides key strategies for a successful large-scale wireless deployment. The article by Oberon President Scott D. Thompson and Siemens Communications Enterprise IT Architect Jon Linton, featured in the November/December 2010 issue of BICSI News Magazine, is available at http://oberonwireless.com/healthcare.php.
About Oberon, Inc.
Since 1999, Oberon's products and services have helped integrators and end-users in the global healthcare, government, transportation and logistics, education, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing verticals achieve reliable indoor network connection mobility. Oberon wireless enclosures and antenna products are used where the RF coverage, infrastructure security, environmental robustness, and aesthetics are paramount in the network design and implementation. Telecommunications enclosures for Ethernet switches, patch panels, wireless controllers, and other networking and A/V components are ideal for structured cabling and Fiber-to-the-Enclosure (FTTE) deployments. For more information, visit http://oberonwireless.com/selection-guide.php.
SOURCE: Oberon, Inc.