Cambridge, MA, February 24, 2010 – ThingMagic, Inc., a leading developer of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, today announced its enterprise class Astra UHF Readers have been deployed at the new Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center in Burbank, CA. The Astra readers are included as part of an innovative RFID solution designed to reduce patient anxiety and improve the workflow between clinicians, patients and administrators.
An extension of the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, the Disney Family Cancer Center will be the first of its kind, serving the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys. Seeded by a $10 million donation from the Roy and Patricia Disney family, the facility’s approach will be to treat the body, mind and spirit of each patient. Opened in February 2010, the four-floor, 55,000-square-foot building will provide the full range of diagnostic, treatment, care and support services for cancer patients and their families.
The administration chose to deploy a comprehensive, integrated RFID solution where ThingMagic’s Astra UHF RFID readers are used to relay information from low profile passive RFID tags – located, for example, on a patient ID badge – to centralized applications that retrieve patient information in order to enhance the patient experience. This information includes patient preferences to activate custom hospital room settings – music, lighting, temperature, etc. – and location data that are sent to staff phone displays, allowing clinicians to greet or locate patients quickly.
“I walked through these doors and I swear it was like angels singing. I’m not a really spiritual person, but this is so beautiful the way it puts you at ease by diverting your mind from your treatment and using nature to help you relax,” said Julie Stevens, Disney Family Cancer Center’s first patient. “When I was treated at the hospital, I would ignore the scary room. I would close my eyes and put my mind in another place,” she said. “I don’t have to do that here. They take me to that place.”
Selected for superior RFID read rates, ease of installation, and proven success in hospital environments, ThingMagic Astra readers are deployed as part of an innovative solution composed of complementary RFID products, including the Reva Tag Acquisition Processor (TAP) from Reva Systems. RFID tag data acquired by the ThingMagic readers are sent to the TAP to determine “location,” and then delivered upstream to a visibility application for viewing by the clinical staff. Data from these RFID subsystems are also provided to the security and environmental control systems of the hospital. This integrated solution provides a platform for expansion as the Disney Family Cancer Center explores future plans to use RFID to further enhance patient experiences and maximize the hospital’s operational efficiencies.
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