Thibodaux Picks AEP

SOMERSET, N.J. -- AEP Networks today announced that Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, used the AEP Netilla Security Platform (NSP) SSL VPN solution to provide remote access for doctors in an emergency service temporary hospital set up to care for Hurricane Katrina victims. Thibodaux is located approximately 55 miles from New Orleans.

“Hurricane season begins again next week, and I am reminded of how helpful the NSP was during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005,” said Terry Evans, CIO of Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. “Emergency response after the hurricane hit was critical. If it hadn’t been for the NSP, doctors and labs wouldn’t have been able to connect with the hospital. By setting up remote access, we lessened the ‘life or death’ situation.”

Thibodaux Regional worked with the Red Cross, which had created a makeshift hospital in dormitory rooms at the local university. Doctors worked at the university ‘hospital’ to triage patients. Physicians could sign on to the network and applications just as if they were in their offices. Because the NSP gave the doctors remote access to patient information, laboratory results, etc., turnaround time for patient care was very quick.

Remote access for doctors was already in place at Thibodaux Regional prior to Hurricane Katrina. Doctors can view rounds reports and laboratory results, conduct patient care inquiries or access any of the MEDITECH software modules remotely via the NSP. The look and feel is exactly the same as if they were working on the network on their office PCs.

“The temporary hospital created after Hurricane Katrina has since been dismantled, but this was a great lesson in disaster recovery,” said Evans. “We have the capability to establish access anywhere. Because there are other local hospitals using the NSP/MEDITECH environment, we could quickly port our data and provide access through their network in the event our facilities are ever affected by other storms.”

AEP Networks Inc.