February 27, 2008

Wireless GigE Helps Docs

BridgeWave Communications announced at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2008 annual conference that New York’s Hudson Valley-based River Radiology has deployed the BridgeWave AR60 Gigabit wireless system to extend its high-speed data network, which carries all-digital Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) files. The deployment followed River Radiology’s decision to expand its magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) capabilities to patients at Benedictine Hospital, less than a mile away, and its resulting need for a secure network link between the two imaging centers. Alternatives included a 45 Mbps landline service, which could have taken up to 60 days to provision and install. According to BridgeWave, once the rooftop was readied, it only took one afternoon to install the Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) radio. The link has been operational for a year. Network availability and low latency over the link has also enabled the addition of VoIP services between the two sites.