COVID-19 has altered our lives. We’re staying home, changing our daily routines, stopping many face-to-face interactions and embracing new ways to connect. For a special segment of the population, this was already a way of life because of existing health situations, including those who live with and are being treated for cancer. How do we continue to make sure that this group of immunocompromised individuals stay safe, yet continue to get the treatment they need?
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is dedicated to eliminating cancerglobally with programs that bring together patient care, research and prevention, education, trainees, professionals, employees, and the public. It supports one of the largest cancer centers in the world and depends on its network to make sure all facilities, faculty, employees, and patients stay connected. This had to remain a constant despite lockdowns, because the cancer fight cannot take a pause.
Healthcare from Home with VMware
Beginning in 2019, MD Anderson partnered with VeloCloud, now part of VMware and Dell Technologies to deploy SD-WAN across its entire existing network. VMware SD-WAN™ by VeloCloud® enabled radiologists to diagnose their most critical patients more efficiently from remote offices. Increased bandwidth and optimized network traffic delivery helped them increase the number of scans they analyzed per day.
When COVID-19 forced radiologists and other physicians to work from home, MD Anderson decided to expand SD-WAN into their homes to ensure they continued to have the same experience as if they were in the office. Very quickly, the VMware SD-WAN team deployed 500 units to radiologists to use in their homes. Soon another 500 were deployed to additional work-from-home care workers—even before VMware received an official purchase order.
“[VMware SD-WAN] is a godsend. It was incredibly easy to set up and seamless to use. It’s probably saved me about an hour of time today alone in time wasted logging into the VPN, let alone the issues I’ve had getting booted from the network, emails getting stuck in the outbox, and issues with Webex. Thanks very much again for providing this invaluable tool. I think as we consider remote work for our division this item should be considered mandatory for optimal business performance.”
To find out how MD Anderson was able to continue its goal of treating and taking care of the most vulnerable patients, click here to read the full case study.
Click here to read more on healthcare with VMware: Care at the Edge: How COVID-19 has transformed where and how care is delivered…forever
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is dedicated to eliminating cancer globally with programs that bring together patient care, research and prevention, education, trainees, professionals, employees, and the public. It supports one of the largest cancer centers in the world and depends on its network to make sure all facilities, faculty, employees, and patients stay connected. This had to remain a constant despite lockdowns, because the cancer fight cannot take a pause. 
When COVID-19 forced radiologists and other physicians to work from home, MD Anderson decided to expand SD-WAN into their homes to ensure they continued to have the same experience as if they were in the office. Very quickly, the VMware SD-WAN team deployed 500 units to radiologists to use in their homes. Soon another 500 were deployed to additional work-from-home care workers—even before VMware received an official purchase order. 
