Orchard Park Rehabilitation & Healthcare Case Study

The Challenge

To achieve its mission of providing excellent care to its patients, Orchard Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare, a premier skilled nursing facility in Orem, UT, sought to speed up its response time. With 59 patients in residence, the nursing staff was constantly on the run and wanted to improve their efficiency.

When Orchard Park had the opportunity to upgrade its facility with the assistance of state funds, they immediately knew what they wanted to do—purchase both a new call button system that would enable them to respond faster to patients while simultaneously upgrading their telephone system. What they didn’t know at the time was that they could actually integrate the two systems together.

The Solution

Orchard Park turned to Selectric, a systems technology integrator from Linden, UT who joined forces with Hello Communications, an authorized Panasonic dealer. “Our initial meeting with the Orchard Park staff was only supposed to last a short time, but when we demonstrated the capabilities of this integrated system, their team was so impressed that we spent hours brainstorming potential applications,” explained Von Gordon, owner of Hello Communications. Selectric and Hello jointly developed a solution that connected patients’ telephones to the wireless nurse call system.

In the spring of 2010, the facility installed approximately 50 Panasonic KX-DT321 telephones, with 32 placed in rooms and the remainder in the administrative offices. The hub of the phone system is the Panasonic KX-TDE600 Converged IP-PBX, combined with the Poltys Direct Care Connect Application, which is designed to help healthcare organizations manage communications and works with Panasonic PBX systems.
Additionally, all nurses and nurse’s aides were equipped with a KX-TD7696 ruggedized, splash-resistant wireless handset which basically lets them carry their extension number with them anywhere in the building. This solved a number of problems: Prior to carrying the cordless handsets, nurses or nurse’s aides would have to visit a patient’s room in response to call button alert without knowing what the problem was. If a patient needed medication, the nurse or aide would then have to walk back to the nurse’s station to retrieve it. Nurse’s aides, who aren’t allowed to dispense medicine, would often have to track down a nurse if one wasn’t nearby to assist. The process was inefficient, time consuming and required lots of walking, not to mention it kept the patient waiting.

Now, when a patient hits the call button, it automatically rings a cordless handset. The nurse can speak with the patient to find out what the problem is. If the patient needs medicine, the nurse goes directly to the nurse’s station to retrieve it without first visiting the patient’s room. If a nurse’s aide fields the call and medicine is required, they use the wireless handset to locate and inform a nurse who retrieves the medicine and visits the patient directly. The ability to immediately communicate with the patient and with each other from anywhere in the building has been a huge time saver for the medical staff and ensures patients receive more timely care.

The flexible architecture built in to the TDE600 is what lets everything work together. Hello Communications installers were able to easily sync the system with the call-button system. Additionally, the Panasonic system accommodated a PRI line. This, combined with the large number of extensions available with the TDE600, allowed Orchard Park to scrap their old system which saw 60 individual lines coming into the building. Now every room in the facility can have up to 3 DID (direct inward dialing) numbers even though Orchard Park only pays for a single PRI line. The result was a whopping $1,500 in savings on their monthly phone bill.

“This was a brilliant solution,” said Jared Swain, Orchard Park Administrator. “We now have a way to conduct two-way communications with some of our residents and patients which increases the efficiency of our care staff. The new updated telephone system also delivers better quality while saving us thousands of dollars on our phone bill.” Gordon adds, “It’s been gratifying to help them achieve their goal of better servicing their patients and improving overall communications while saving money, too.”


Customer Information:
Orchard Park is the premier skilled nursing facility in Orem, Utah. They provide compassionate and personal 24-hour skilled care and rehabilitation services in a comfortable and friendly environment.
At Orchard Park, caring is their main concern. They believe the most effective way to provide compassionate care is to maintain high medical integrity, build a team spirit among staff and provide friendly, beautiful surroundings for their patients and visitors. Although most transitions can be challenging, they strive to facilitate that process with an environment where patients and guests feel informed and comfortable.
Their team of qualified professionals helps patients recover from surgery, injury or serious illness. They understand the importance of creating a comfortable and nurturing atmosphere, whether providing patients with short-term treatment or long term care.

Happy Holidays from Key Communications!

To all our friends and clients,

The coming of the New Year brings with it an opportunity to say Thank You for your support and business, and extend our heartfelt greetings for the season.  It is clients like you who enable us to become the best in our field.

By way of this small note, we wish you and your dear ones a safe and happy Holiday Season and a very happy New Year. We sincerely hope that this New Year brings with it more successes and joys and good health and cheer for you and your family.

We hope that your support and patronage will continue into the New Year and we shall have the privilege of serving you in the years to come. We wish to thank you again for the privilege of serving you in the past years and look forward to future projects. Wishing you and your family a very happy New Year once again and hope you have a great holiday.

Financing Business Communication Equipment Makes Sense...

Why Finance?

A constantly changing business environment makes managing cash flow both challenging and critical. Technology changes just as fast – presenting both the opportunity and the need to acquire that new technology.  The successful business leaders are able to balance cost cutting, preserve business capital and take advantage of adopting new technology.

Equipment financing with Marlin is the solution.  Our flexible financing allows you to acquire Panasonic communications technology without an up-front cash investment. We offer various financing plans with flexible terms and payment options.

Bottom line – acquire new technology and preserve your cash.

Flexible Financing Options

We all hear the word "leasing" or "financing" and usually cringe.  The early days of leasing and financing made us fear enormous interest rates and giant balloon payments at the end of the term.  That isn't the case any more!  With flexible financing options, special plans and rates for non-profits, schools and municipalities, and great rates for everyone, financing your new system might just be the solution you have been looking for.

With $1 Buyout financing, also referred to as a Capital lease or finance lease, you simply pay $1 at the completion of your term, and you own your system, it's that simple.  This option is perfect for companies or residences that are fairly certain they want to own the equipment after the lease term ends. With a finance lease, you (the lessee) can claim ownership of the asset for tax purposes (although the funding source is the actual owner), so you can claim depreciation and interest expense deductions. Most commercial leases are done under a $1 buy out lease due to the mileage restrictions with other types of leases. With a $1 out lease, you own the equipment at the end of the term.

With FMV (Fair Market Value) financing, also known as an operating lease or True lease, you have the option of making the final payment and owning your system, or turn in the equipment and upgrade to a new system.  FMV financing is primarily designed for businesses that want the lowest monthly payment with the greatest flexibility at the end of the lease term. With an operating lease, the lessor (funding source) retains ownership of the asset for tax purposes, and the lessee (you) typically claims all lease payments as an operating expense or tax deduction. The greatest asset of the FMV is to lower the monthly payment to the least amount possible. At the end of the lease, you would hold no obligation to purchase the equipment, although you would have the availability to do so from the leasing company at the equipment FMV as determined by the leasing company.

The differences and /or advantages of one type over another would be specific to each particular customer and in each specific application. You could see the same company use an operating lease in one situation and then a capital lease in another. Particular use, long term ownership needs, and mileage requirements would certainly sway one's decision.


Why Marlin Business Services?

Marlin Leasing Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Marlin Business Services Corp., continues to make borrowing available to most Panasonic customers.  Marlin Leasing and Panasonic have formed a strategic alliance to provide flexible financing that allow Panasonic customers the ability to upgrade older communication systems or to deploy new technology.

Marlin is not experiencing the same financing capacity issues as other financial institutions and independent leasing companies. We are well capitalized and acquire funding support internally through Marlin Business Bank – allowing us to be less reliant on external funding sources.

As a trusted business partner, Marlin can help you obtain and maintain the right Panasonic solution for your business.  Contact Key Communications today for more information.

Shhhhh... it's a Secret System! Coming Soon!

We are proud to announce that we have been included in a select group of dealers asked to be a part of the pre-launch of a new system due from one of our manufacturers in early 2012.  It is so secret, we can't even talk about the system or name the manufacturer!  We are so honored to be asked to be a part of the handful of dealers invited to this pre-launch.  Bob and Steve will be headed South for the meeting tomorrow and will be getting the scoop on the new system.  We are very excited at the new features and capabilities we are hearing about and can't wait to see them in action, and bring them back for our clients!  As you know, Key Communications has built it's reputation on only providing the best equipment, with a proven track record, to suit your specific needs.  This pre-launch gives us the opportunity to see the system live, and be included in a dealer only demo program so we can fully test the system and put it through it's paces before the release to the general public.  We'll be sharing more information as it becomes available and are excited to have this sneak peek into the future of telephony.  Stay tuned for more details as they come available!

Have Neck/Back Pain or Headaches After Work? Headset Benefits VALIDATED!

Are you a headset user?  SHOULD you be a headset user?  If you are having neck, back, hip, leg pain or frequent headaches, it might not be "just stress", it could be your telephone use!  In my many, many years of retail and office telephone use I have discovered one thing... headsets really DO work.  I spent lots of years (and lots of money) at my chiropractor getting adjustments when my neck or back would go out.  Then I started noticing a pattern, my neck would always go out in the same spot, and it was usually after a high-volume phone week.  I had never been a headset fan in the past, but decided to give it a try to see if it made any difference.  To my amazement, the change was all but immediate!  I started out with a simple wired headset with a Quick Disconnect so it was easy to detach and go if I needed to leave my desk and graduated to a wireless headset within a year for total freedom.  I cannot say enough about how not only this increased my productivity, but also improved my health.  No more missed days because I couldn't move my head or walk, no more smashing headaches at the end of every day, and all because of this simple little earpiece. 

And now Plantronics commissioned H.B. Maynard & Company to do a random study on the benefits of headset use in the workplace, and the results mimic my own personal experience.  Some excerpts of the study:
Results from a commissioned study conducted at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, CA, provide, for the first time, strong evidence that office workers can reduce neck, shoulder and upper back muscle tension as much as 41% by using headsets.
In the course of the three-month study, 62 people (33 women and 29 men), ranging from 20 to 63 years old, were involved in tests that evaluated the various levels of muscle tension resulting when office workers engage in other tasks while using the telephone.
Neck and upper back muscle tension is one of the most common ailments of office workers today. This new evidence now confirms Plantronics Headsets as a cost-effective, preventative solution for office workers.
The H.B. Maynard & Company study, also commissioned by Plantronics, first confirmed that headsets improve workplace efficiency and productivity as much as 43%. These new study results, combined with the results from the Maynard study, prove without a doubt, the benefits of headsets in today's demanding work environment. Employers and employees alike will benefit from using headsets, from lower medical costs to happier, more productive workers.

To read the entire study from Plantronics, click HERE to go to the PDF.  For more information on headsets for your system, contact Key Communications, or see the different models available at www.key-comm.com.  Get your headset today and save your health!

Did You Know....

You can have a 7 YEAR PARTS WARRANTY on all new Panasonic telephone system purchases?  Talk about a worry-free system!  It's true, any new Panasonic equipment purchases have the option of adding an additional 6 years to the standard 1 year factory warranty for a full 7 years of coverage.  For around $10 per phone, $63 for a telephone system control unit, and $42 for a voice mail control unit, you get 7 years of no-worry system.  That's less than $1.50 a year for phones, $9 a year for telephone system, and $6 a year for voice mail (*expansion and feature cards and other equipment are additional), at that price how can you NOT afford to add the extended warranty?  Contact Key Communications today to get more information!

Actor Rob Lowe Chooses Panasonic Business Telephone System

Rob Lowe, the celebrated actor who was nominated for an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Sam Seaborn on the hit television series The West Wing, recently outfitted his estate in California with a Panasonic business phone system, including more than 30 sophisticated desk phones and several DECT cordless phones. Mr. Lowe and his family chose Panasonic for their new home because they wanted a way to easily communicate from room to room within the house as well as on the surrounding grounds, which includes a pool area.

With the same type of research and preparation that he brings to his acting, Rob Lowe and his wife concluded that a complete Panasonic phone system was the best fit for their home and lifestyle. “We’ve had really good luck with Panasonic in the past, and we know the company has incredible systems for business and home,” Mr.Lowe said, noting that ease-of-use, mobility and the means to “have as many extensions as you need” were key factors in his decision to go with Panasonic.

“The system and the phones are really easy to use and set up,” Mr.Lowe said. “There was no learning curve or heavy training involved to get started. The system is reliable and we’ve had no down time—you just pick up the phone and you’re good to go!”

“Panasonic’s phones also go well with our décor, and for mobility we’re using the new DECT 6.0 cordless handsets, which give us the freedom to go from room to room, even out onto the grounds,” Mr. Lowe continued. “We don’t have to worry about dropped calls, and the sound and range are pretty incredible. The phones are also extremely secure.”

Rob Lowe, who rose to fame in the 1980s after appearing in such iconic movies as The Outsiders and St. Elmo’s Fire, supports a number of causes, including Best Buddies, a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the Dream Foundation, the first national wish granting organization for adults suffering life-threatening illness.

“As a market leader, Panasonic is committed to delivering innovative features and superior performance, qualities that led to Rob Lowe’s decision to choose our products for his home,” said Bill Taylor, President of Panasonic System Networks Company of America. “Mr. Lowe is also quite concerned about environmental issues and Panasonic is serious about its commitment to environmental responsibility, another issue that was appealing to him. Our new DECT line uses 100% recycled packaging materials, and our new models are Energy Star® compliant, which means they use about 1/3 less energy than non-qualified models.”