North Suburban Medical Center has installed high-speed wireless Internet access throughout its hospital and affiliated medical office buildings, to help patients and visitors stay connected.

"We continue to look for ways to make a visit to our hospital as comfortable as possible," says Kim Miller, North Suburban Medical Center's information systems & technology director. "Wi-Fi access (wireless fidelity) offers added convenience for our patients, their friends and family."

Provided at no charge, the new wireless network is available at any time to patients and visitors with personal computers or other wireless-enabled devices. It's not tied to the hospital's network of servers, so the hospital's records remain confidential and business-related connectivity is unaffected.

"Patients can now keep up with their emails and surf the Web; family members can work remotely, if they want, and spend more time with their loved ones," Miller adds.

The addition of facility-wide wireless capabilities also assists physicians with patient care by enabling them to connect to their office's electronic charting systems and to hospital-hosted applications, such as Meditech and Picture Archive Communication System, from the patient's bedside.

"It's the next logical step in providing reliable, timely mobile technology in patient care," says Medical Staff President, John Berman, MD, North Suburban Medical Center. "We're moving towards support systems, such as electronic medical records, that facilitate care and enhance organizational performance."

About North Suburban Medical Center ( www.NorthSuburban.com)

HealthONE's North Suburban Medical Center is a 157-bed licensed hospital with two adjoining medical office buildings and 550 physicians on staff. Located in Thornton, CO, the hospital offers cardiovascular services, critical care and emergency medical services; surgical services; enhanced diagnostic-imaging services, including high-definition MRI, 64-slice CT capabilities and digital mammography; the Women's Center for maternity care, the Center for Weight Loss Surgery, the Center for Sleep Disorders, the Musculoskeletal Center and Kids Express for pediatric problems occurring outside of normal physician office hours. North Suburban Medical Center is a part of the HCA-HealthONE LLC System of Excellence.