Florida-based All Children’s Hospital announced that it has replaced its first round of carts on wheels with new wireless mobile clinical workstations from Flo Healthcare.

Since its founding in the 1920’s, All Children’s has been a leader in pediatric treatment. In order to remain at the forefront, the hospital sought a wireless mobile clinical workstation that nurses and physicians could take with them right to the bedside for charting and rounding.

The hospital had implemented computers on wheels (COWs) from another vendor several years ago. Even though clinicians enjoyed the devices’ mobility, they didn’t use the COWS as often as they had envisioned. The devices’ large size, lack of comfort, and inability to indicate how much power remained were reasons cited for abandonment.

"We had an area that we called the ‘cow corral,’ where most of our carts sat unused," said Jodi Moll, an RN and clinical informatics education specialist at All Children’s.

All Children’s IT department collaborated with the hospital’s nursing staff to assess the current carts and to determine what needed to be different the second time around. The new criteria included a smaller footprint, a height-adjustable work surface, the ability to add or upgrade components as needed, and the ability to provide on-screen battery charge status.

After nurses and physicians tested various devices for several days, they ultimately chose the Flo 1750 wireless mobile clinical workstation, which they had nicknamed "The Skinny COW" because of its small size. Moll noted that the Flo 1750’s height-adjustable work surface, footrest, and large monitor made it more comfortable for nurses to use. The small footprint also facilitated bringing the workstation directly to the point of care.

Moll said that Flo’s BatteryPro software sealed the deal. BatteryPro displays the battery data on the workstation monitor so that users can see what percentage of the battery is left, how much runtime remains, and the amount of time it will take to charge up to 100 percent.

"Previously, even in areas where we had COWs, they were not always used because the batteries were dead and nurses didn’t realize it," she said.

The hospital ordered 46 Flo 1750s, with Wyse thin clients and 20-inch monitors. The workstations are up and running in the hospital’s emergency center and neonatal intensive care unit.

Deborah Whittemore, a client technology specialist at All Children’s, noted that the IT department also favored the Flo model because, compared to competing models, it is so easy to add peripherals and upgrade the computer in the future. Flo’s flexibility is paramount in a hospital such as All Children’s, where each department requires a different design.

"The options and add-ons that Flo offers are great, and it won’t be one-cart-fits-all," Whittemore said. "For example, the ICU may not want a chart rack, where med surge might. Each unit will have additional packages added to the carts based on their patient population needs." Currently, All Children’s has added chart holders and new keyboards. She said that the hospital is evaluating baskets, hand-sanitizer holders, and other peripherals.

All Children’s Hospital is the only specialty licensed children’s hospital on Florida’s west coast. Founded in 1926, All Children’s has grown into a leading pediatric referral center that is dedicated to advancing treatment, education, research and advocacy in child health. In January 2007, Child magazine named All Children’s one of the top 25 children’s hospitals in North America for the fourth consecutive time.

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, Flo Healthcare designs comprehensive wireless and mobile clinical workstation solutions specifically for the healthcare industry. Flo Healthcare is part of Emerson Storage Solutions’ InterMetro (Metro) division. Like Emerson, which is focused on making people’s lives better through its products, systems and solutions, Flo Healthcare’s top priority is improving patient care and safety. By delivering a better connection to information, clinicians stay better connected with patients. Flo Healthcare works with clinical software, OEM business partners and value added resellers to deliver patented, integrated solutions—infrastructure, devices and services—to medical facilities. With mobile devices and wireless infrastructure systems installed within approximately 900 hospitals, Flo Healthcare is the acknowledged leader in total hospital and system-wide wireless and mobile clinical workstation installations across the U.S. and Canada. For more information on Flo Healthcare, visit www.flohealthcare.com. For more information about our parent company, Emerson, visit www.Emerson.com.