- Healthcare
- North America
- Enterprise
- Premise
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital in California has provided compassionate healthcare services to Kern County, the surrounding area, and the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake for over 50 years. With 25 beds, several clinics, and a nursing home, the hospital is well-equipped to serve the needs of the local rural population and military personnel.
At a Glance
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital had an aging, outdated Nortel communications system that was difficult and expensive to keep in service and receive support. Ridgecrest needed its communications system outfitted with modern, easily serviced technology. The hospital also began growing and partnering with several clinics, bringing them under the main hospital’s ownership. Many of these clinics had stand-alone phone systems that Ridgecrest had difficulty managing altogether, leading to high monthly hospital costs.
Goals
Ridgecrest needed to move their main hospital and clinics to one solid and reliable phone system. With the hospital’s past growth and expansion, they needed to integrate nearby buildings not yet on their phone system as efficiently as possible. One specific requirement was a gradual transition due to limited IT staff and to help their healthcare providers comfortably integrate with the new technology. They wanted a single platform from the same vendor across the enterprise for all locations connected to the main hospital.
Results
Ridgecrest began modernizing its communications systems with Mitel MiVoice Business, working with Mitel partner CPI Telecom to migrate slowly and steadily starting in 2018. CPI has worked with Ridgecrest to migrate in phases with the complete transition to MiVoice Business near completion. Within three clinics, a main hospital, and a nursing facility, around 80 percent of staff members have been successfully migrated to MiVoice Business.
With the aging Nortel system on its way out, Ridgecrest can spend less time and money fixing communications system problems and increase efficiency with a more reliable and cost-effective solution. The transition is already paying off with one big win: all hospital staff – close to 900 employees – part of the modernization will be able to dial a 4-digit extension and reach everyone.
As Ridgecrest finishes the integration, CPI Telecom and Mitel teams are readily available for support, one key element missing with their old Nortel system.
Change in healthcare is not necessarily welcome for staff, but implementing a slower and steadier personalized pace to modernize allows our staff to get familiar with the Mitel technology so that we can now plug and go.
- Sean Patrick, Director of IT, Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
