Secure, Fast Real-Time Access to Patient Care Details at Osaka Red Cross Hospital
Osaka Red Cross Hospital in Japan transforms the quality and reliability of their network with an Allied Telesis solution.
Established in 1912 as an affiliate hospital of the Japanese Red Cross Society, Osaka Red Cross Hospital is the largest in the group, with over 1,000 beds. The hospital is also certified as an emergency care center, regional cancer center, and perinatal care center for the Osaka prefecture.
A Long List of Requirements
Osaka Red Cross Hospital had experienced ongoing network problems with inconsistent communication, and low performance due to the many departmental systems that were sharing the Healthcare Information System (HIS) network.
The hospital also runs a Picture Archiving and Communication (PACs) network to support X-ray, CT scan, and other imaging storage and retrieval and wanted to integrate this with the HIS network.
With around 1,300 terminals connecting to the HIS network, the network upgrade had to support the hospital’s modern and complex environment. To do this effectively, it needed to provide:
- improved network performance and reliability
- uninterrupted network access
- new seamless wireless connectivity
- support for the new electronic patient record system
- ease of management
Allied Telesis Provides the Answer
The new network has SwitchBlade x908 core switches, which utilize Allied Telesis Virtual Chassis Stacking (VCStack™) technology, creating a single virtual unit out of the two individual switches to increase resilience.
Servers are connected to x610 Series switches, which also use VCStack to provide high availability. Two x900 Series switches, which were re-used from the previous generation network, provide distribution for the East Building, and again use the power and reliability of VCStack. Allied Telesis x210 Series switches are used for access connectivity.
New wireless network access has been provided using technology from Allied Telesis, for seamless roaming between hospital wards, and the easy real-time entry of patient data. Cost-effective Allied Telesis TQ Series wireless access points were used in smaller areas that did not require roaming capabilities.
The AlliedView NMS network manager centralizes the provisioning and monitoring of the entire network. An iBAQS network authentication appliance was installed to ensure the security of data held in HIS, by preventing access from unauthorized devices.
A High-Performing and Stable Network Solution
The hospital’s new network is now high performing and provides stable and reliable access.
For a hospital operating around the clock and every day of the year, an uninterrupted network is required. Since the new network began operation we haven’t received a single complaint from staff, and this is testament to its stable operation.
Osaka Red Cross Hospital,
Section head of the Healthcare Information Section, Operation Department
For Osaka Red Cross Hospital staff, who move between wards and departments, this seamless wireless connectivity is an ideal solution. With 20 access points on each hospital floor, Channel Blanket technology made installation easy, and is proving a perfect solution for highly mobile users.
The new network provides a highly available solution with ready access to online systems, yet remains easy to manage.
Using VCStack on the core, distribution and server switches further simplifies management, as each stack is managed as a single virtual device.
On top of the easy management of Allied Telesis devices, the AlliedView NMS network manager centralizes provisioning and monitoring of the entire network.
