Communicating when every second matters

On the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Children’s and Women’s Hospital takes care of a lot of moms and babies, including premature infants.

When a major disaster strikes, hospital staff need to work quickly and closely with first responders.

Now, thanks to a Disaster Preparation Micro-grant from United Way of Southwest Alabama that was funded by Verizon, the hospital has new radios and an antenna system that enable its incident command to quickly communicate with local EMS teams, firefighters, and police.

In healthcare, every second matters, so us having better communication tools that are more reliable and quicker gives us that edge when we need to take care of our community.”

-Allen Broome, assistant administrator of clinical operations at Children's and Women's Hospital 

Allen Broome, assistant administrator of clinical operations at the hospital, said the benefits go beyond Children’s and Women’s Hospital campus, because the antenna system extends to other campuses and buildings in the area. 

“This is actually something to benefit the community overall,” he adds.

“In healthcare, every second matters, so us having better communication tools that are more reliable and quicker gives us that edge when we need to take care of our community.”

Justine Bixler, President & CEO, United Way of Southwest Alabama, said the partnership with Verizon and United Way Worldwide, enabled investment in critical communication infrastructure at USA Children's & Women's Hospital that strengthens preparedness and helps ensure families continue to receive care when they need it most.

“When disaster strikes, reliable communication can make all the difference in protecting patients, supporting caregivers, and coordinating emergency response," Bixler said.

“This investment reflects what disaster resilience is all about: preparing our region today so our community is stronger tomorrow."

Watch the video to learn more.