For a couple years running, the topic of health care has never fallen too far from the top of the headlines in the United States. Most often the reporting/discussion/debate surrounds the ambition to ensure every American has health-care insurance coverage. I have never intended to use this space to espouse any of my own political beliefs, and hope that I have succeeded in that regard. And I don't intend to start doing it now. Rather, I think it's countless times more appropriate if what you read about here has a direct tie-in to your professional responsibilities as they relate to networks and structured cabling systems. In that vein, the topic of health care systems is worthy of discussion.
So worthy, in my opinion, that two articles in this issue deal with the planning and implementation of structured cabling systems in health care environments. The article authored by Belden's Andre Mouton and beginning on page 37 provides detailed information to those who are unaware (and a reminder to those already aware) that the TIA-1179 Healthcare Facility Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard is the new cornerstone for the manner in which cabling systems should be deployed in facilities such as hospitals, doctors' offices and other similar facilities. The article includes an example of the recommendations in action, providing detail of the modernization project that took place at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, NY.
Carol Oliver authored the article that begins on page 7 and is also highlighted on this month's cover. In it, she tells the story from the ground up (literally) of the 250,000-square-foot Shapiro Center, part of Boston Medical Center. The story begins long before the first cable was pulled into the Shapiro Center, as she explains that razing the building that previously existed at the location was a lengthy task, due in part to the intricacy of the old building's conduit and utility systems. They had to be removed without disturbing the other buildings on campus.
But far from being solely about the past, the Shapiro Center story, like the St. Peter's story, looks toward the future. In addition to serving the here-and-now needs of patients, caregivers and staff, each facility has a structured cabling system that promises to accommodate expansion (in footprint and/or in throughput demand) that are sure to come in the future.
While I try to put my political beliefs aside, I view well-designed and -installed cabling systems for health care as a bipartisan issue that, I think, we can all agree on.
PATRICK McLAUGHLIN
Chief Editor
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