The Challenge
VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) in South Hill, Virginia is a community owned hospital servicing the south-central region of Virginia and portions of North Carolina
For some time, the hospital had been struggling with complaints from the staff about cellular coverage gaps because of concrete and metal building materials and insulated walls in the operating and radiation rooms that blocked signals. The use of concrete and metal in construction is known to block cellular signals, but it’s difficult to avoid given the ubiquity of the materials and the lack of suitable replacements. Similarly, interior walls have the same effect. Those insulated against radiation, as the walls in CMH’s operation and radiation rooms, have even more pronounced effects than ordinary interior walls since signals are technically a form of radiation.
When Eric Williams, Communications Coordinator, joined CMH, he decided to take a site survey to see how cellular signals were distributed across the site. The hospital did have a few femtocells, but they would only work for a limited number of people, and simply weren’t doing the job that was needed. During his walk-through he recalled, “I was holding my cell phone in front of me and actually seeing where signals weren’t coming through and found the dead areas one by one.”
The Solution
Eric went to AT&T, where he was introduced to the CEL-FI GO Smart Signal Booster, and decided to give it a try. He took one CEL-FI GO system and set it up in different areas in the building where there were problems to see what the signal looked like. “We got a signal in every single one,” he reported
Eventually, CMH acquired nine CEL-FI GO Smart Signal Boosters. Installation of each Smart Signal Booster took only 20 minutes. “It took no time at all to do the downloading and linking (of the CEL-FI WAVE app),” Williams said. “You just go on the website, download the app, and they sync up, no problem. I like plug-and-play solutions.”
The Result
CMH has experienced reliable sitewide coverage since the installation of the CEL-FI PRO systems. The CEL-FI WAVE app also makes it easy for Williams to monitor and manage each Smart Signal Booster.
Williams added that the CEL-FI support team was a huge help. “When I talked to the Nextivity representative about CEL-FI, she really knew her job. She told me what it does, what we can do with it, and provided the documentation. It took five minutes for her to explain things and send me what I needed. I could handle the rest from there.”
Everyone at CMH is happy, and there haven’t been any more complaints from the staff, he says. “When you get a good product like CEL-FI, it’s a wonderful thing.”
Altogether, CMH found the CEL-FI GO G41 Smart Signal Booster to be an easy-to-use and effective solution to their connectivity issues, allowing hospital staff, patients, and visitors to remain connected to the outside world despite the dense materials and insulation within the structure of the hospital.
