Newly deployed TELUS Wi-Fi service is already having a positive impact
The new TELUS Wi-Fi service, a high quality and fully supported Wi-Fi for staff, patients and visitors, is up and running at HOpe Centre, Whistler Health Care Centre, Evergreen House, Shorncliffe Intermediate Care Facility, and Lions Gate Hospital—the first batch of Coastal sites to go live as part of the Wi-Fi Expansion project. This is a major milestone for the project, which will install over 4,000 Wireless Access Points at 133 acute, ambulatory, and residential facilities across VCH, PHC, and PHSA.
What the new Wi-Fi means to you
All organization-sponsored computers and medical devices that rely on Wi-Fi will be connected to the new staff Wi-Fi, which is faster and has better coverage.
What the new Wi-Fi means to our patients and their families
Patients, families, and visitors will be able to access free public Wi-Fi for basic internet browsing. They also have the option of purchasing premium Wi-Fi services for streaming videos, music, and gaming—helping to make their time at our sites more comfortable. Connecting to the Public Wi-Fi network is quick and easy. In fact, it’s similar to how you connect to Wi-Fi at a coffee shop or at the airport!
“Families are happy that VCH is recognizing the changing needs of not only the residents, but also the families and visitors to Evergreen House,” says Melanie Leckovic, manager of Evergreen House, a residential care facility. “Residents and families view this seemingly small change as an indicator that VCH is progressive and is moving forward,” she continues. “I also heard from one family member who wanted to share information about our new Wi-Fi with another health authority, as an example of what is possible and the positive impact it has on life in a care facility.”
As sites go live, the Wi-Fi Expansion project team is engaging site stakeholders to learn about their Wi-Fi experiences. This information is being used to improve service quality and communications materials for future site deployments, wherever possible.
What’s next
For more on the Wi-Fi Expansion project, including a schedule of upcoming sites, visit the new IMITS InfoCentre here. (Please use Internet Explorer 8 and higher or Google Chrome to view it.) If you have any questions, please email John Roberts, Senior Program Manager, at John.Roberts@phsa.ca.