5G in Healthcare Solving Care Team Problems at Ellison Institute

By Samantha McGrail

January 17, 2020 - The Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC recently announced a partnership with wireless network AT&T to open a new “smart” facility to further advance the multidisciplinary cancer research ecosystem through 5G in healthcare.

By using AT&T as the foundation and backbone to help support the latest medical technologies, the collaboration will transform cancer research and patient care with technology and connectivity. By creating one of the most technologically advanced cancer research facilities, the team will pass on data intelligence that will “help to delineate the success of these collaborative interaction within the building.”

"Cancer touches us all, and our hope at the Ellison Institute is to change the course of this disease by the way we approach it," David Agus, MD, founding director and chief executive officer of the Ellison Institute, stated in the announcement. "As a cornerstone of the Institute, our collaborative environment and interactive care clinic offer a different healthcare experience for patients, physicians and researchers.”

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“AT&T's collaborative approach to identifying our needs and integrating transformational technologies will enable this multi-level synergistic ecosystem within the building and provide a blueprint available to virtually any institution looking to transform how they share information," he added.

Incorporating advanced wireless technologies that could revolutionize the communication between researchers and patients, the new building will use 5G, multi access edge computing (MEC), artificial intelligence (AI), and various other technology from AT&T to power the facility for cancer research, treatment, and wellness education, the announcement stated. As results are received, healthcare research all over the world will benefit, leaders at Ellison Institute predict.

Notably, the solution will include a distributed antenna system (DAS), 5G using millimeter wave spectrum, multi-access edge computing, and an IoT platform,.

This partnership will also use technology to create a first-of-its kind experience for patients, which will include:

An easy-to-use wayfinding app which allows patients, visitors, and staff to orient themselves with the facility using a 3D map
Connected sensors that track patient-staff interactions, which will be studied for collaboration that can lead to better outcomes
Reliable wireless communications that will allow for wall-to-wall coverage inside the Ellison Institute with enough capacity for thousands of users
Immersive, personalized and engaging experiences for patients and visitors

"Nearly 40 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime," Mo Katibeh, chief marketing officer at AT&T Business, stated in the announcement. "AT&T Business's work with the Ellison Institute to bring next generation technologies like 5G and Edge Compute will support their vision of transforming the way cancer is treated. AT&T's solutions will help bridge the intersections across disciplines to create a truly collaborative environment."

The new “smart” facility is slated to open this winter in West Los Angeles. The facility will include an interdisciplinary cancer research laboratories alongside a cancer treatment and wellness clinic, and serve as “an educational destination where students and the community can tour the building, observe ongoing research in the labs.”

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5G in Healthcare Solving Care Team Problems at Ellison Institute

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