BridgeWave Communications, the leading supplier of gigabit wireless solutions, announced that Medical X-Ray Center, a state-of-the-art radiology center serving hospitals and clinics throughout South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, has deployed both BridgeWave AR60 and AR80 gigabit wireless links to extend high-speed network connectivity to remote sites while ensuring seamless, secure access to an all-digital Picture Archiving Communications System (PACS) and customized patient treatment plans.

As one of only three accredited radiation oncology facilities in a five-state region, Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Medical X-Ray Center provides highly specialized diagnostic and therapeutic radiology services using the latest medical technology and procedures. The center's 31 physicians along with therapists, nurses, radiologic technologists and office staff provide comprehensive patient care at three treatment sites, all of which are connected by a secure, metropolitan area network (MAN). As Medical X-Ray Center's array of services increased and number of patients continued to rise, the existing 100Mbps Ethernet link between the facilities became overburdened, slowing the transfer of vital, bandwidth-intensive x-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound images. Additionally, the insufficient 5.8 GHz wireless solution soon experienced reliability problems, failing 50 percent of the time.

In seeking a replacement for its aging wireless bridge, Medical X-Ray Center determined that at least 700Mbps of high-speed bandwidth would be needed to accommodate its burgeoning radiology practice and ever-increasing file sizes. Compliance with federal HIPAA regulations demanded a connectivity option with the highest levels of security. Fiber-optic based services were briefly considered but then rejected after the Center discovered that Gigabit Ethernet leased-lines would cost approximately $10,000 a month. After a thorough evaluation of other alternatives, Medical X-Ray Center selected highly secure Gigabit Ethernet wireless links from BridgeWave to meet its growing bandwidth, stringent security and HIPAA compliance requirements. For the network installation, Medical X-Ray Center enlisted Sioux Falls Two Way Radio Service Inc., a wireless solutions provider that deployed and aligned the BridgeWave products in one day.
According to Rod Sevening, IS manager at Medical X-Ray Center, BridgeWave's Gigabit Ethernet links have performed flawlessly since installation while providing ample bandwidth to meet both current and emerging networking needs. "BridgeWave's products have exceeded our expectations in terms of capacity, security and reliability," he says. "We now have room to grow without any concern about bandwidth limitations or any lingering performance or interference problems. What's more, these high-capacity links have boosted overall staff productivity while yielding a seven-month ROI."

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