Cleveland Clinic and Verizon collaborate on new 5G-enabled hospital

Some uses cases include patient check-in, enhanced digital displays, and AR/VR adoption

Verizon has been making heavy investments in 5G in recent years: in 2021, the company spent over $45 billion on 3,500 licenses, nearly double the amount spent by AT&T, the second-highest bidder, to build itself a nationwide footprint of midband airwaves for 5G. 

Now, the company taking that capability it has built up and will be putting it to use in the healthcare sector, as it announced a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic to deploy a private 5G network at a new hospital being built in Mentor, Ohio.

Through this partnership, the two entities say they will "develop ways to utilize this technology to enhance patient care, provide caregivers with greater connectivity to deliver that care and elevate the patient and visitor experience."

Some of the outlined potential use cases for the 5G network include patient check-in kiosks, enhanced digital displays, in-room infotainment for patients, and asset tracking. It can also be applied to AR/VR adoption for clinician education, patient education, assisted surgery, and imaging.

Founded in 1921, Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that currently employs 77,000 people worldwide, including more than 5,600 physicians and researchers, and 19,000 registered nurses and advanced practice providers. Its 6,665-bed health system, which includes 22 hospitals and more than 275 outpatient facilities, had more than 12.8 million outpatient encounters, 303,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 270,000 surgeries and procedures in 2022.

It has locations in Ohio, Florida, Abu Dhabi, London, Nevada, and Canada. Mentor Hospital, which is scheduled to open in July, will include inpatient/observation rooms, an emergency department, operating rooms, and imaging facilities.

“This collaboration supports our long-term vision for a fully digital hospital infrastructure,” said Matthew Kull, Chief Information Officer, Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement.

“If we can provide 5G high bandwidth to our facilities, we can become more efficient, ensure better continuity of care as patients transition home and enhance the overall experience for our caregivers and patients.”

The private 5G network that Verizon will deploy at Cleveland Clinic is based on an Ericsson platform. The deal was facilitated through Verizon’s 5G alliance partnership with KPMG. 

“When you’re caring for people’s health, moments matter and the network infrastructure of a healthcare facility is critical for everything from patient care to facility operations,” said Kyle Malady, CEO, Verizon Business.

“The team at Cleveland Clinic is a global leader in healthcare with a clear understanding of the impact technology can have on the overall experience at their facilities.”

(Image source: clevelandclinic.org)