Toshiba puts more Healthcare Technology On Call

18th December 2009

The company says it has broadened the range of communication tools it offers the healthcare market with its announcement of the availability of the Cornell Series 4000 Tone/Visual Nurse Call System and AURA 2.0 Emergency Response System from Cornell Communications, which can be integrated with Toshiba’s Strata CIX IP business communication system.

The 4000 Series Tone/Visual Nurse Call system is UL1069 listed, a designation mandatory in many states for a Skilled Nursing Facility.

“Together, the Cornell Series 4000 Nurse Call System and AURA 2.0 Emergency Response System, when integrated with the Toshiba Strata CIX VoIP systems, provide a comprehensive nurse call and recording solution for small to medium-sized healthcare facilities,” said Shahin Hatamian, VP of Product Management for Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division (TSD). “This addition to the Toshiba telecom product line is in keeping with our desire to deliver comprehensive applications that solve the specific needs of select vertical markets, including healthcare.”

Cornell’s 4000 Series Tone/Visual Nurse Call system includes: bedside stations, bath/emergency pull cords, and annunciator panels that give tone and visual notification to the nurse, or caregiver, in case of an emergency. It also has a Reporting function.

The AURA 2.0 Emergency Response System provides both wired and wireless support for the Nurse Call System, including Alert Display, Notifications, and a Reporting function. The Alert Display shows the patients or residents information such as his or her room number or name and how long it has been since the patient of resident has pushed the nurse call button.

When the AURA 2.0 Emergency Response System is integrated with the Toshiba Strata CIX VoIP system, the combined communication system can then initiate the ‘telephone knock-off alarm,’ which automatically routes calls to a nurse’s station telephone when a patient or a resident cannot dial a phone or has dropped a phone in an emergency. It can also be integrated with AURA 2.0 to notify the caregiver of the ‘knock-off alarm.’

The AURA 2.0 Emergency Response System can be integrated with the 4000 Series Tone/Visual Nurse Call system as well. Once an emergency situation is detected (whether through wireless peripherals, Series 4000 system or knock-off alarm), the system alerts the caregiver through a variety of notifications, including written notification via email, to pagers, and/or to cell phones via SMS. In addition, audio notification can be sent to a cell, wireless or desk telephone, including Toshiba telephones using the standard SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) technology. Notifications can be customized to meet specific needs or goals.

The Reporting function of the Cornell Nurse Call System permits a care facility to generate reports that will show the usage of the system. These reports should help improve the management of an overall facility in a variety of ways for its staff, residents/patients, and their families. The AURA 2.0 System also has a Reporting function which shows a caregiver’s response time. These response time reports can be used as one measure of a health care organization’s performance.