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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Speare Memorial Hospital (603) 536-1120 |
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March 4, 2008 |
Free Wi-Fi an Enhancement to Patient Care at SMH
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| PLYMOUTH, N.H. --- There is a new Wi-Fi hot spot in town where you can grab a cup of coffee, stake claim to a table and escape to your own online world. It is all you would expect in a "cybercafé" except its location—the cafeteria at Speare Memorial Hospital. |
| Speare Memorial Hospital now offers Wi-Fi Internet access free of charge to all patients and their guests. The cafeteria and cafeteria annex were chosen as the hot spot because of its public accessibility and the fact there are no overlapping signal issues from surrounding businesses or Plymouth State University. Open daily from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. the cafeteria gives people a place to sit down, have a meal, and relax. Now they can also keep in touch with family members or work while loved ones rest, are in surgery or undergoing other outpatient procedures. SMH´s Network Administrator Peter Hall who installed the Wi-Fi says, "We´re waiting for feedback about the wireless Internet so hopefully this summer we can look into expanding the access to more locations within the hospital." |
| For Medical/Surgical and ICU Nurse Director Kris Hering, Wi-Fi Internet is just another example of "the little things" that help set Speare Memorial Hospital apart. "Many of our patients are shocked to find they have a private room," notes Herring. All in-patient rooms at SMH are large private rooms with their own showers, and have been for over a decade. Hering says, "Private rooms with their own showers is something that´s not found everywhere among hospitals. While they are definitely the trend moving forward, they are not yet the standard." |
| Extending patient privacy to all areas of the hospital was one of the main goals of the $15 million renovation and expansion completed at SMH just over a year ago. The out-patient surgical suite previously resembled a ward with beds separated only by curtains. Today, Surgical Services has seven private rooms which have increased patient comfort and privacy. Another major improvement was the addition of a private corridor. The corridor enables patients to travel through the facility for tests and/or surgery, safeguarding their privacy and confidentiality. |
| The Oncology Department offers cancer care with a personal touch. All treatment bays are individual with natural light, large comfy chairs, plants, and pictures to make patients feel as relaxed as possible. Nurse Director Kerry Rockwell explains, "We develop a relationship with our patients." All staff members are Oncology certified nurses who offer individual case management for chemotherapy and anemia. Other services provided include treatment for arthritis, Crohn´s Disease, enzyme-replacement therapy, multiple sclerosis, and osteoporosis. Linda A. Havlock, an Oncology patient at SMH says, "They treat me just like family." |
| SMH´s Emergency Room offers eight private rooms for patients, and 13 beds overall. Over 50 percent of the staff is certified in Trauma Nurse Care Curriculum (TMCC) and Emergency Nurse Pediatrics Coarse (EMPC). These certifications are internationally recognized by the Emergency Nursing Association. Nurse Director Deb Thompson says, "Our goal is to have 100 percent of our staff certified in both international standards by 2010." |
| While quality patient care will always be measured by its delivery from professionally trained and experienced doctors and nurses, using the latest technologies and medicines, the addition of wireless Internet access at Speare Memorial Hospital helps elevate the guest services component of that care. Speare Memorial Hospital is a 24-hour, acute care, non-profit community hospital and health care provider serving Plymouth and the communities of central New Hampshire for more than a century. Visit online at www.spearehospital.com |
| Michele Barney Hutchins Director of Community Relations Speare Memorial Hospital (603) 238-6468 mhutchins@spearehospital.com |