Dominican Republic. The Medical Center for Diabetes, Obesity and Specialties (CEMDOE), was the space where Musitempo installed a mass notification system of multizone warnings, high-efficiency environmental audio and a control platform, which has generated improvements in the attention to users.
Specifically, this AV solution had two phases. In the first, the implementation of a Mass Notification and Public Address System was generated, while in the second, an Audiovisual Support System was installed. In this sense, it is worth noting that CEMDOE is an outpatient medical center, focused on the patient and the care of their health in an integral way.
2 deployments and 1 completely new space
In an interview with Fernando Hernández Voigt, project manager and CTO at Musitempo, we obtained key details of this intervention.
"Both the mass notification system and Public Address, as well as the audiovisual support system were installed in different stages because the need immediately was to start up the center, because the part of the audiovisual support was limited only to an area with use similar to a 'convention' space. This space, during the construction process, was completed after the rest of the building."
He also told us that, since the construction of the building had not yet been completed, it was a process that happened on par with the building works. "We began to evaluate this opportunity in 2019. However, the project only began after the arrival of the pandemic. In 2020 we were approved and delivered the first system in 2021."
For this project, which grew as the medical center itself did, a direct communication with the client was of vital importance, since it was he who gave the indications in the step by step. "The same client, apart from the fact that he made his constructive baking in two phases, also made the contract. So it was like doing two independent projects, although obviously it's made up of the same system."
Since the building was a totally new construction there was no technology of any kind previously. Then, as everything was integrated and installed from Musitempo, this was extremely convenient, because it opened the opportunity for them to design it from scratch and choose each actor, the only condition was to comply at all times with the requirements that the client was looking for.
In the same way, the project manager told us that they were contacted because they were the only ones certified by the Joint Commission International (JCI), in addition to having previous projects where JCI certification had also been involved, something that that end client was specifically looking for.
Moreover, the project division has to its credit other international certifications, such as JBL, Harman, BSS, AMX, Shure, Atlona and RTI, among others.
Specifications
The mass notification system was chosen from the Q-SYS brand (for the mass notification system) and RTI (for the control part of the audiovisual support) for the convenience of scalability. Specifically from Q-SYS Fernando referred to the advantages involved, because "having a product that can be programmed in an open architecture format for me makes it fascinating, because it does not limit you to premeditated functions, allowing any type of scalability and integration".
And it is that this possibility has already borne fruit, the first part was inaugurated on April 7, 2021 and scalability has already been used to integrate the audiovisual support system solution and even an expansion to the building is already being considered. Although Fernando clarified that: "Obviously I do not detract from those who have more hermetic solutions, but it is also true that not all projects are the same."
Added value
The project manager told us that they managed to focus on the CEMDOE directives so that they did not see the notification system as a simple crisis management support or a "lost and found", but used it as a support to their daily operation, especially from a commercial point of view.
Then, "long before the topic of Covid began, we had already convinced them to use the pre-recorded audio playback functions to promote their services and activities in the various areas, such as the waiting room, cafeteria and others, so that they had that informative possibility constantly, but not inopportune. That is, something pleasant that was mixed with the musical threads corresponding to the various areas, respecting the sensitive spaces that must remain in total silence".
That was so useful that when the Pandemic restrictions arise, because in the Medical Center personalized messages were integrated for the purposes of prevention, distance maintenance and frequent cleaning. According to Fernando, "it made them unique, in a certain aspect, because it is one of the few centers that have a solution like this," at least in his country.
In addition, he confirmed that the choice of Q-SYS as an audio processing and control option had been ideal because "at all times of customer needs, which occur after acquiring the equipment, it was extremely easy to add value to their solution."
Now, regarding the audiovisual support system, the control part is RTI, but in general it is made up of multiple brands, such as RTI, Atlona, EIKI in video projection, Da-Lite in screens, FURMAN in voltage conditioning, Middle Atlantic in cabinets, where the latter two (FURMAN and Middle Atlantic) are part of the mass notification as well.
Finally, the other distinctive mark of this integration is that the audiovisual support is a project with processing redundancy that relies on QSYS as the only Core, using a single amplifier per floor and an additional IDF in the cafeteria and the convention area, to provide exclusive service to that portion of the system.
