Challenge

Delivering a Cost Effective Way to Protect Patient Privacy

Peach Tree Health, a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FGHC), provides comprehensive medical, dental, vision and behavioral health services in Northern California. Operating 8 health centers and 2 mobile dental clinics that serve over 27,000 patients through almost 90,000 visits, Peach Tree Health’s mission is to extend personalized, high-quality care to the community and effectively bridge a gap in health care access to many of their area’s most under-served populations.

Like all medical office environments, protecting patient speech privacy at Peach Tree Health’s locations is critical. Patients and staff have hundreds of sensitive discussions regarding medical information and treatment every day, and to provide the best environment for patient care it’s imperative that they feel those conversations aren’t being overheard by unintended listeners. Protecting speech privacy is particularly important in reception areas and exam rooms where patients and staff are most likely to interact.

With the expansion of new locations, Greg Stone, Chief Executive Officer for Peach Tree Health, wanted to seek alternative sound abatement solutions for the newest clinic in North Sacramento. “In the past, we have used other sound absorbing or blocking materials, and sometimes found them to be either ineffective or costly or both,” stated Stone. “Since protecting speech privacy is vitally important to our business and patient privacy concerns are everywhere throughout a medical facility, we needed an effective and budget-friendly solution,” Stone continued.”

“QtPro sound masking helps Peach Tree Health protect patient speech privacy, particularly in our exam rooms and reception areas. We like it so much we’ve decided to roll it out at other Peach Tree locations and will be installing it in our corporate office.”
– Greg Stone, Chief Executive Officer. Peach Tree Health

Solution

After consulting with the chief architect on the project, Peach Tree decided that sound masking would be an excellent method to ensure speech privacy. Having evaluated several solutions on the market including those from Cambridge Sound Management, Peach Tree visited the offices of United Corporate Furnishings, the vendor who would supply the office furnishings for the new clinic, to see first hand how Cambridge Sound Management’s QtPro™ sound masking system was installed and being used throughout their facility. Based on the quality of the sound masking, the ability for customization, and the price, Peach Tree selected the QtPro system, and integrator Precision West Technologies was commissioned to install it.

To ensure uniform sound throughout the 14,000 square foot clinic, Qt® Emitters (loudspeakers) were installed seamlessly into the ceiling tiles in the two reception areas, 17 exam rooms, and medical team office areas. The easy to install emitters were connected via cables to the Qt 600 control module in the clinic’s server room.

Result

Protecting Patient Privacy

“We see up to 30-40 patients at any given time in the reception area and about 150 patients and their family members throughout the day. With so many people coming in and out of the clinic, QtPro sound masking helps Peach Tree Health protect patient speech privacy, particularly in our exam rooms and reception areas,” stated Stone. “We like it so much we’ve decided to roll it out at other Peach Tree locations and will be installing it in our corporate office.”

About Peach Tree Health
Since 2001, Peach Tree Health has been a Federally Qualified Health Center and provides comprehensive medical, dental, vision and behavioral health services for people of all ages in
the Northern California counties of Sacramento, Sutter and Yuba. Peach Tree Health operates
eight health centers and two mobile dental clinics that serve over 27,000 patients through almost 90,000 visits. Peach Tree’s services target the uninsured and underserved families throughout the region. Learn more at www.pickpeach.org.

About Biamp
Biamp® is a leading provider of innovative, networked media systems that power the world’s most sophisticated audiovisual installations. The company is recognized worldwide for delivering high-quality products and backing each one with a commitment to exceptional customer service.

Recipient of the Frost & Sullivan 2018 Global Installed Audio Conferencing Enabling Technology Leadership Award, Biamp is dedicated to creating products that drive the evolution of communication through sight and sound. The award-winning Biamp product suite includes: Tesira® media system for digital audio and video networking, Devio® collaboration tool for modern workplaces, Audia® digital audio platform, Nexia® digital signal processors, Vocia® networked public address and voice evacuation system, Cambridge® sound masking solutions, and loudspeakers for installed sound applications from Community Loudspeakers® and Apart Audio®. Each has its own specific feature set that can be customized and integrated in a wide range of applications, including corporate boardrooms, conference centers, huddle rooms, open floor environments, performing arts venues, courtrooms, hospitals, transportation hubs, campuses, retail, hospitality, military and government, and multi-building facilities.

Founded in 1976, Biamp is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, USA, with additional offices around the globe. For more information on Biamp, please visit www.biamp.com.