Case Study: Regional Hospital Network Overhaul — 200 Beds, Zero Downtime
## Challenge
A 200-bed regional hospital in Orange County faced critical infrastructure problems: - Cat5 cabling from 2004 could not support modern medical devices and WiFi access points - Network switches were end-of-life with no vendor support - WiFi dead zones in patient rooms, surgical suites, and the emergency department - HIPAA compliance gaps in network segmentation - No redundancy — a single switch failure affected the entire wing
The hospital required a complete infrastructure replacement without disrupting 24/7 patient care operations.
## Solution
Summit DNC designed and executed a phased infrastructure replacement spanning 16 weeks:
Phase 1 — Design & Planning (4 weeks)
- Surveyed 220,000 sq ft across three buildings - Mapped every network-connected device (2,400+ endpoints) - Designed HIPAA-compliant VLAN segmentation (clinical, admin, guest, biomedical, building systems) - Created detailed cutover schedules for each floor and wing - Established temporary redundant connections for transition periods
Phase 2 — Backbone & MDF (3 weeks)
- Installed new fiber backbone (single-mode OS2) between MDF and 12 IDFs - Built redundant fiber paths through separate risers - Deployed new core switches with 40G uplinks and 10G distribution - Installed UPS protection on all network closets
Phase 3 — Horizontal Cabling (6 weeks per floor, phased)
- Replaced 4,800 Cat5 drops with Cat6A supporting 10GBase-T and PoE++ - Installed ceiling-mount pathways for new wireless access points - Added cable runs for nurse call system, biomedical devices, and building automation - Worked during evening shifts and weekends in clinical areas to minimize disruption
Phase 4 — Wireless & Commissioning (3 weeks)
- Deployed 140 WiFi 6E access points for seamless roaming - Configured clinical-grade QoS for biomedical telemetry - Validated RTLS (Real-Time Location System) for asset tracking - Load tested with simulated device density exceeding peak operation
## Results
| Metric | Before | After | |--------|--------|-------| | Network speed | 100 Mbps | 10 Gbps backbone, 1-10 Gbps to devices | | WiFi coverage | 72% | 100% (including parking structure) | | Downtime events | 12/year | 0 (first 12 months post-completion) | | HIPAA compliance | 3 gaps | 0 gaps (passed compliance audit) | | Connected devices | 1,800 | 3,200+ (including new medical IoT) | | Network segments | 2 VLANs | 8 VLANs (properly segmented) |
## Key Takeaways
1. **Phased approach is essential** — Attempting a full cutover in a hospital is reckless. Floor-by-floor replacement with temporary redundancy keeps operations safe.
2. **Cat6A future-proofs healthcare** — Medical devices increasingly require multi-gigabit connections. Cat6A with PoE++ supports current and next-generation equipment.
3. **Segmentation is not optional** — HIPAA requires network segmentation between clinical, administrative, and public network traffic.
Summit DNC specializes in healthcare infrastructure projects across Southern California — from ambulatory clinics to multi-campus hospital systems.
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