Medical Center Streamlines Staff Activities with Smart Lighting System

A major medical center in Lincoln, Nebraska with facilities totaling approximately 3 million square feet across two campuses, recently upgraded its lighting system as part of a remodeling project. In addition to the common requirements of reducing energy usage and the related operating expenses, the facilities staff required a centrally-managed and forward-thinking system that could support a wide range of environments including patient care rooms, diagnostics labs, office space and more. In addition, the medical center staff was concerned about the direct impact the lighting system could have on patient care and comfort, as well as staff productivity and ease of use.

The smart lighting system at the medical center has directly impacted critical patient diagnostics, streamlined operations for improved staff productivity, and empowered office workers to customize light levels in their individual workspaces. It has been revolutionary with respect to the impact it has created in several areas.

Here are some of the results achieved using an advanced connected light control strategies:

Task Tuning - In the special procedures room where radiology scans are reviewed, different task tuning levels are automatically incorporated into lighting scenes, enabling highly accurate diagnosis. The lighting scenes are triggered using a foot pedal for hands-free viewing.

Pre-programmed Custom Lighting Scenes - When an X-ray machine is in X-ray mode, the connected light management system automatically triggers a custom lighting scene for the room. When the machine is out of X-ray mode, the lighting system reverts back to the room’s original scene. This streamlined approach means staff no longer needs to manually adjust the lights.

A large conference room area at the medical center can be split into smaller spaces with curtain dividers when required. When a conference room is booked, the scheduler can choose the appropriate lighting scene needed from a list of pre-programmed lighting scenes appropriate for each size space and use. This streamlines operations while saving energy.

Occupancy Sensors - Occupancy sensors in each office cubicle trigger the lights to automatically shut off when the office is not in use, dramatically reducing energy usage.

Personalized Lighting - Office workers set their light levels in their individual workspace to suit their daily needs. In addition to increased individual comfort levels, there has been a reduction in the number of routine calls to the Facilities Management Help Desk.

By looking at space and workflow holistically, several basic switches have been added for convenience to the lighting network to expedite routine tasks. For example, as patients are transported by ambulance or helicopter to the facility, the emergency room is in close contact with the medical transport teams. A switch in the ER nurse’s station opens or closes the ambulance bay doors upon arrival/departure, and the lights on the medical center’s heliport are turned on/off from the same ER nurse’s station, six floors below.

The smart lighting system enabled the medical center to improve diagnostic workflows, streamline operations, and improve comfort while reducing energy consumption.

To learn more, download the case study below.