Roy E. Disney, nephew of Walt Disney, passed away from stomach cancer at the age of 79. Years earlier, he and his family had donated a generous ten million dollars to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. A brand-new outpatient cancer care facility was successfully completed with an additional $36 million donated by surrounding organizations.
The new center addresses the needs of the mind, body and spirit simultaneously, incorporating the healing power of nature and Roy’s love for the ocean. The
center also wanted to keep a personal feel throughout the facility so patients would feel relaxed and at home.
BEFORE CONNEXALL
Already the largest hospital in the San Fernando Valley, the Medical Center’s addition of the four-fl oor, 55,000-square-foot building broadened its on-site services even further.
“Undergoing cancer treatment is difficult enough for patients and their families; we designed every element of the center to help alleviate stress. The integrated RFID solution plays a vital role in delivering our unique and caring experience. Everything happens behind the scenes, invisible to patients, but the experience the RFID solution enables us to deliver has a strong impact on each patient’s mood and state of mind.”
- Ray Lowe,
Regional Director IS Operation
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center
Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer
Center
THE CONNEXALL SOLUTION
A comprehensive RFID system was installed with the idea that just by entering a room, a patient’s music, lighting and temperature preferences could be adjusted immediately and automatically. As enterprise middleware, Connexall bridges communications between passive RFID readers from ThingMagic, Reva Systems TAP technology, Aeroscout, Johnson Controls P2000 building management, and Avaya
Voice over IP phones, enabling an impressive range of benefi ts, including:
- Automated Environmental Controls – as patients enter designated areas of the facility, the temperature settings are adjusted based on previously configured user profiles
- Ambient Experience - When patients enter specific areas of the facility, lighting and sound (music, soothing background noise) levels are adjusted based on previously configured user profiles.
- Work-Flow automation- Notifi cations are dispatched to clinical team members, signifying that patients are ready and waiting for treatment procedures, e.g. Radiation visit, and weekly exams
CONNEXALL DELIVERS: RESULTS SUMMARY
The Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center
assessment and development took about two
years to complete. From there, four months of
technology testing was launched until the facility
was ready to open in February of 2010.
In addition to creating a one-of-a-kind personalized
patient experience, the Center benefits
from the improved workfl ow between clinicians,
patients and administration. With this system, patients
have more freedom to wander throughout the Center. When needed for appointments, patients
can be easily located with the AeroScout MobileView
platform. Doctors at the Center also have the opportunity
to greet their patients immediately upon
arrival for treatment since patient names are sent to
their phones.
Further, the Center has maximized its return on investment
by planning for future upgrades, incorporating
new technology as it becomes available.
At their 8th Annual RFID Journal LIVE conference,
RFID Journal named the Disney Family Cancer Center
the winner of The Most Innovative Use of RFID award.
This award recognized the Disney Family Cancer Center for:
- A pioneering RFID system designed to reduce patient anxiety
- An integrated solution from leading technology
vendors that improves workfl ow between clinicians,
patients and hospital administrators - A solution architecture that addresses key areas of hospital operation and provides a platform for future growth
“I walked through these doors and I swear
it was like angels singing. I’m not a really
spiritual person, but this is so beautiful
the way it puts you at ease by diverting
your mind from your treatment and using
nature to help you relax. When I was
treated at the hospital, I would ignore the
scary room. I would close my eyes and put
my mind in another place, I don’t have to
do that here. They take me to that place.”
- Julie Stevens,
Disney Family Cancer Center’s fi rst patient
