Wireless Internet online at SV Hospital
Facility is latest in the city to offer Wi-Fi

Simi Valley Hospital now has wireless Internet access for patients and visitors through Adventist Health's Project IntelliCare.

Simi Valley Hospital's Information Systems department installed 65 wireless access points throughout most of the campuses last year to enable wireless network access for the 70 mobile carts that comprise Project IntelliCare.

Although wireless access for the project is kept separate and secure for patient confidentiality, the same hardware can offer wireless access to patients and visitors.

The new Internet service, which is free of charge to users, came online in December.

Users can log on to the wireless network on the Main Campus, North Campus and Administration suites. Service to the Hospital's Aspen Outpatient Center and the Alamo Building should be available by the end of the first quarter.

The new Patient Care Tower will also offer the service when it opens this summer.

When users log onto a wireless laptop, they are directed to a web page that contains access information, including instructions to call the hospital's operator.

After answering a few questions from the operator, users receive a password, which is good for 24 hours.

The hospital is using other telecommunications advancements.

Physicians will soon be able to download patient data to a handheld personal digital assistant.

Late this year or early 2008, the hospital will bring Phase III of Project IntelliCare online, which will add a number of new features.

The project lets doctors connect from their office computer to view information and perform routine activities that used to require a trip to the hospital, such as signing transcriptions.

Physicians can also access their patients' electronic medical records at their convenience.