Press Releases
East Texas Medical Center Deploys Next-Generation Mobile Wireless Technology
Health Care Network Deploys In Motion Technology Solutions to Improve Regional Emergency Response
Tyler, Texas, May 5, 2008 – In Motion Technology, a leader in wireless mobile communications systems for public safety organizations, today announced that East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System Emergency Medical Services has deployed In Motion’s onBoard™ Mobile Gateway and onBoard™ Mobility Manager to improve emergency communications and response across its vast service area.
The onBoard Mobile Gateway turns each emergency vehicle into a secure, high performance wireless network, enabling all data devices, such as ECGs, patient care records and dispatch systems, to work together. And it allows the seamless transmission of information between these systems and operations command and area hospitals while emergency vehicles are at incident scenes and in transit. The onBoard Mobility Manager enables operations to monitor vehicle location and network health.
Based in Tyler, East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System serves a population in excess of one million people in communities from 500 to 50,000 residents across 17 counties and over 17,000 square miles. The ETMCRHS EMS fleet of almost 100 ambulances each is equipped with Advanced Life Support systems and staffed by highly trained, certified paramedics and emergency medical technicians. ETMCRHS is recognized as a leader in bringing medical communications and information technology to their communities and for the last 8 years have been among the "Top 100 Most Wired" health systems in the nation.
“Our ambulances are equipped with the latest cardiac, dispatch and communications technology. We needed a solution that would enable all of the devices to communicate reliably, over a single, high-speed connection from anywhere across our vast service area, and in the future enable us to use multiple networks,” said Phil Collins, IT Manager for ETMCRHS’s EMS. “In Motion’s solutions are helping us improve our emergency operations, communications, and the service we provide to the people of eastern Texas.”
Emergency communications across rural areas, where cellular coverage is often unreliable, can be challenging using conventional communications tools. The Gateway deals with gaps by constantly scanning for the best available wireless network and seamlessly switching networks to ensure that life-saving patient data gets through – a capability that provides unmatched connectivity to first responders in rural areas, and enables emergency personnel to focus on patient care instead of their communications devices.
“At any time, 60% of our ambulances may be in rural areas. Reliable communications are critical to our operations,” said Collins. “That’s why ETMCRHS chose to deploy onBoard Mobile Gateways throughout our entire fleet.”
“In Motion technology solutions have been deployed in more than 100 public safety organizations that serve communities ranging from remote and rural to the largest urban centers in North America,” said In Motion Technology CEO Kirk Moir. “Their choice of In Motion Technology for vehicle communications will improve emergency communications, operations and life-saving patient care.”
About In Motion Technology
In Motion Technology provides cognitive wireless systems that enable public safety organizations to stay connected while in motion. The company’s complete vehicle area network solution ensures that any IP device can be useful in the field immediately with no modification, connecting to headquarters over the most reliable communications network available. In Motion Technology solutions have been successfully deployed in high-performance EMS, Police and Fire departments in the US and Canada. Founded in 2002, In Motion Technology is based in Vancouver, BC. For more information, please call Louise Labuda (In Motion Technology) at (604) 523-2371 ext. 538 or Michael Rubin (Rubin | Meyer) at (202) 898-0095, or visit www.inmotiontechnology.com.
About East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System
ETMCRHS is comprised of 12 hospitals and 7,500 employees across 17 counties, over 17,000 square miles and serving more than 300,000 Texans each year. ETMCRHS’s mission is "to be one with East Texas", providing care as close as possible to the communities they serve. ETMCRHS is organized so that primary care is provided in the rural health clinics. Secondary care is provided locally in the ETMCRHS affiliate hospitals, and high-level secondary and tertiary care is provided at ETMCRHS Tyler. ETMCRHS EMS is equipped with almost 100 ambulances and three helicopters to provide emergency care and medically necessary transportation throughout the region.
Media Contact:
Michael Rubin
Rubin/Meyer
(202) 898-0995
michael.rubin@rubinmeyer.com