Works the Way You Want

Windows 7 Customer Solution Case Study

Hospital Deploys Modern Desktops to Boost Productivity, Reduces IT Effort by 75 Percent

Overview "The new workstations have definitely contributed to an Country or Region: United States increase in patient satisfaction scores, a decrease in usage of Industry: Healthcare call lights, and increased RN satisfaction.” Customer Profile Resurrection Health Care, a nationally Kathleen A. Cantos, RN, BSN, CCRN, Nurse Manager, Intensive Care, Resurrection Medical Center ranked leader in quality care, has 13,000 employees and provides comprehensive healthcare services at more than 100 locations—including six major hospitals Resurrection Health Care provides healthcare services at more — in the Chicago, Illinois, area. than 100 locations in the Chicago area, including six major Business Situation hospitals. When the healthcare system built a new Northwest For its new Northwest Wing at Resurrection Medical Center, Wing at Resurrection Medical Center, it wanted to deploy PCs Resurrection Health Care wanted to that doctors, nurses, and other clinicians could walk up to and deploy clinical workstations that performed well and were consistent from use—without any of the drawbacks presented by its existing PC device to device—areas where existing environment. Resurrection Health Care chose new PCs running PCs left significant room for improvement. Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows Internet Explorer 8, deploying approximately 150 such devices. Hospital staff Solution Resurrection Health Care selected HP PCs productivity has been enhanced because PCs are always within running Windows 7 and Windows easy reach, all work the same way, and deliver consistently Internet Explorer 8. strong performance. The new desktops have also benefited IT Benefits staff, who have seen a 75 percent reduction in the time spent Improved user productivity and satisfaction maintaining system images, deploying new systems, and fielding Increased PC speed, reliability, and help-desk calls. security Reduced IT effort by 75 percent Strong return on investment Blueprint for future success

Works the way you want Situation and the Windows Internet Explorer 6 Resurrection Health Care, a not-for-profit browser. Many of those issues were related Catholic organization sponsored by the to the diversity of the desktop systems. Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and “We were coming from an environment the Sisters of the Resurrection, provides with a lot of disparity in hardware, comprehensive healthcare services at more applications, drivers, and so on,” says Baran. than 100 locations in the Chicago area— “There was no consistent approach to PC including six major hospitals. In 2010, configuration—instead, specific Resurrection Health Care was recognized applications varied by floor, unit, or with the Distinguished Hospital Award for specialty. In addition, because we weren’t Clinical Excellence at three hospitals, 14 able to fully lock down the environment, specialty excellence awards, and 48 five- system configurations could be changed by star ratings, placing it among the top users and tended to vary from one PC to healthcare systems in the United States. the next.”

In early 2010, Resurrection Health Care That disparity often led to frustration finished building a new Northwest Wing at among hospital staff, who sometimes had its premier health care facility, Resurrection to try several PCs before finding one that Medical Center. Designed as a patient- could meet their needs. “There were never centric, healing environment, the new wing enough PCs for everyone in the first place, contains 150 inpatient beds on four floors so the inconsistency from desktop to —all private rooms. For the healthcare desktop only compounded the problem,” system’s IT staff, the new wing presented says Baran. “We received a steady stream of an opportunity to deploy clinical complaints about PCs that weren’t working, workstations that were as up-to-date as the were too slow, or that didn’t have an other new equipment that would be going application someone needed.” into the facility. The disparate environment also meant “Our goal was to deploy clinical more work for IT staffers, who fielded workstations that were user friendly and several help-desk calls a day across the easy to manage—intuitive PCs that doctors, hospital’s 800 PCs. In addition, one full- nurses, and other clinicians could walk up time IT staff member was required to to and use,” says Mike Baran, Senior maintain more than two dozen standard PC Director of Technical Services at images. “With so many different models, Resurrection Health Care. processing speeds, and memory requirements for different applications, our In deploying those new desktops, old desktop environment was difficult and Resurrection Health Care sought to avoid labor-intensive to maintain,” says Baran. the limitations of the hospital’s existing PC “We had to configure the operating system environment, which consisted of in different ways depending on which approximately 800 systems running the applications it would run, and some PCs Windows XP Professional operating system couldn’t handle certain applications at all.”

27 Works the way you want And with Internet Explorer 8 tools, such as It was also time consuming for IT staffers to Group Policy and Compatibility View, we image and reimage systems. After installing were able to get all web-based applications software, technicians had to manually apply to work correctly.” registry settings and configuration options —information that the team maintained for In June 2010, the project team started each configuration in a large spreadsheet. bringing in groups of users to familiarize “After reimaging, we spent two to three them with the new devices. “We trained hours manually adjusting settings,” says more than 400 nurses, patient care Baran. “Even then, because of the technicians, and unit receptionists—and limitations we faced, users could still offered training to nearly 500 physicians, change things, install additional residents, and medical students,” says Mary applications, delete icons, and so on.” Ellen Kripp, Senior Project Manager, Applications, Resurrection Health Care. Solution “Some people are afraid to touch anything Resurrection Health Care chose new PCs they’re not familiar with, so we encouraged running the Windows 7 Enterprise early involvement and gave people time to operating system and Windows Internet work with the devices.” Explorer 8 for its new Northwest Wing and deployed approximately 150 such devices The project team continued tweaking the throughout the facility. “We looked at PCs after they were deployed, reimaging Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 as a them several times as they fine-tuned the fresh start—a way to standardize on new environment. Use of Microsoft System current versions and take advantage of all Center Configuration Manager 2007 for that they have to offer,” says Baran. “In image deployment made this a painless retrospect, we made the right decision. process, as did the use of Group Policy Everything worked out very well.” settings and Group Policy preferences for Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8. “We Planning, Testing, and Deployment were able to completely eliminate the Planning began at the end of March 2010. manual configuration process after imaging Resurrection Health Care established a a system; instead, we used Group Policy comprehensive application test plan in and Group Policy preferences to apply all which the project team tested more than configuration settings,” says Chris Haller, 50 applications across several patient Technical Project Manager at Resurrection scenarios. During testing and remediation, Health Care. the team looked to new capabilities in Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 to help Plentiful, Predicable, and Intuitive address any incompatibilities. “With Workstations Windows 7, we knew that we could use Today, workstations in the new wing are Windows XP Mode to address any plentiful and within easy reach, and all of compatibility issues,” says Baran. “However, them work exactly the same way. “Each bed in the end, we didn’t even need to do that. unit has 25 or more deployed devices,

37 Works the way you want including 15 wall-mounted devices located Doctors and nurses are more productive in alcoves between every patient room, because PCs are now always within easy four at the nursing station, two to four in reach, all work the same way, and deliver the nurse conference rooms, and four in a consistently better performance than the centralized physician’s lounge,” says Baran. systems they used in the past. For IT “We chose HP business PCs, with an all-in- personnel, the decision to standardize on one design that integrates the processor, Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 has hard drive, and so on into the 23-inch enabled them to effectively lock down and monitor chassis. That made them easy to centrally manage all systems in the new deploy, took up less desk space, and wing, leading to significantly fewer help- enabled us to easily mount them so they desk calls—with similar time savings in the can’t be moved.” areas of image management and deployment. To deliver a solution that would appeal to all staff roles, the project team Improved User Productivity and implemented a clean, uncluttered desktop Satisfaction design, with large, tile-like icons that Caregivers in the new wing no longer wait enable users to quickly and easily find the in line for a PC—or go from system to application they need (Figure 1). “One of system to find one that will meet their the things we like about Windows 7 is how needs. "In the old unit, the nurses and easily we can customize the desktop—we residents competed for the computers,” couldn’t have implemented such an says Kathleen A. Cantos, RN, BSN, CCRN, a uncluttered and user-friendly look-and-feel Nurse Manager at Resurrection Medical with Windows XP,” says Haller. Center. “The doctors took up residence in two areas of the unit, leaving the RNs to The PCs use a generic account to log on to work off of four to five computers for 17 the hospital’s network when they start up, patients. Today, there are enough enabling care givers to simply walk up to computers for everyone." any workstation and use their credentials to access individual applications. “As an added Consistency from device to device has also layer of precaution, we used Windows 7 contributed to increased user productivity configuration options to dim workstation and satisfaction. “Users can do what they monitors between patient rooms after two need from any device, without any variation minutes, and those in the nursing stations from PC to PC,” says Baran. “Our goal was after five minutes,” says Baran. “This also to deliver an environment where the PCs helps us conserve power and reduce function like automatic teller machines—in energy costs.” that anyone can walk up and use them— and we’ve been able to do just that.” Benefits For Resurrection Health Care, the decision Increased PC Speed, Reliability, and to adopt Windows 7 and Internet Explorer Security 8 benefits both caregivers and IT personnel.

47 Works the way you want Improved PC performance also contributes to increased user productivity and Reduced IT Effort by 75 Percent satisfaction. Employees no longer log on to By deciding to standardize on Windows 7 the hospital’s network and wait one to two and Internet Explorer 8—and to deploy that minutes before they can access desired software with System Center Configuration applications, nor do they wait as long for Manager—Resurrection Health Care has applications to start. “Applications start reduced IT effort in several areas, including: quicker and perform better on Windows 7 than they did before,” says Jim Murrell, Image management. With Windows XP, IT Field Services Team Lead at Resurrection personnel had to maintain more than Health Care. two dozen different system images. With Windows 7, the team only needs to In addition, employees are no longer maintain, update, and test a single inconvenienced by the need to restart PCs. system image, with drivers automatically “With Windows 7, we rarely have to restart applied during the imaging process. systems,” says Murrell. “When we do, it only takes one-third the time.” Haller attributes Image deployment. The IT team can the overall system stability—and the reimage a system running Windows 7 in resulting increase in user satisfaction and about an hour, compared to the four productivity—to his team’s ability to hours it used to take with Windows XP. completely lock down the systems. “Today “A large part of that time savings is the we use Group Policy and Group Policy elimination of manual configuration, as preferences to completely lock down all enabled by the ability to handle all post- systems so that users can’t make changes imaging customization and configuration that might compromise system stability or using Group Policy,” says Murrell. “With consistency,” says Haller. “We’re even using Windows 7, we can reimage all 150 Group Policy to configure trusted sites for machines in a day if the need arises. With Internet Explorer 8 and to set the time Windows XP, we were lucky if we could delays for dimming the workstation do 10 systems in a day.” monitors.” Help-desk calls. The move to Windows 7 The ability to fully lock down all systems has virtually eliminated help-desk calls has also helped Resurrection Health Care for the new systems. “With Windows XP, increase security. “Users can no longer we receive four to five help-desk calls a install any applications on their own, which day across 800 devices,” says Baran. helps make the environment more secure,” “With Windows 7, that number has says Baran. “In addition, with Internet essentially decreased to zero. And if Explorer 8 features, such as the future issues do arise, new SmartScreen Filter and Data Execution troubleshooting tools in Windows 7, Prevention, we can provide users with full such as the Problem Steps Recorder, will Internet access without having to worry as enable us to diagnose and resolve issues much about web-based threats.” faster.”

57 Works the way you want patient satisfaction scores, a decrease in Summarizes Baran, “Overall, we’re able to usage of call lights, and increased RN support our new Windows 7 environment satisfaction,” says Cantos. with about one-quarter the IT effort— efficiency gains that span the spectrum of Blueprint for Future Success IT tasks ranging from image management Baran’s team is already building on the and deployment to daily system work it did in the new Northwest Wing to management and support.” meet additional business needs. “We just finished deploying 100 new laptops In turn, that reduction in IT effort is helping running Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 Resurrection Health Care minimize the cost to our Home Health Care unit,” says Baran. of supporting its new environment. Some “We built on our recent work for the wing, of those same capabilities—namely, faster using technologies such as System Center and more automated imaging—helped Configuration Manager and Group Policy to reduce initial deployment costs. “Had we stage, build, and configure those systems. gone with Windows XP, initial deployment After we had the image defined, we were would have taken three hours more per able to fully image and configure all 100 of device,” says Baran. “At an average those systems in about one hour each.” technician rate of [U.S.]$30 an hour, that’s a savings of more than $10,000. These Baran also notes that his team is being productivity gains were significant because flooded with requests to repeat what it did they allowed us to meet other project in the new wing at other locations. “People commitments.” really appreciate the ease of use, reliability, consistency, and performance we’ve been Strong Return on Investment able to deliver,” he says. “It’s fair to say that By far, the largest return on investment Windows 7 usage will increase at being realized by Resurrection Health Care Resurrection Health Care—we certainly is increased productivity. “User productivity won’t refresh existing PCs with anything gains are almost immeasurable, given the else.” additional functionality and flexibility that they have gained,” says Kripp. “For us as an IT team, the biggest win was in the ability to get everything just right. Today, we get more compliments than complaints, which is a strong measure of success.”

The IT team’s efforts to create an ideal end- user environment has been consistently acknowledged by hospital staff, who can focus more effectively on taking care of patients. "The new workstations have definitely contributed to an increase in

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