Shields Health Care Group Keeps Network Healthy With Comcast Business

BOSTON, Feb. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business today announced that Shields Health Care Group, the leading provider of MRI, PET/CT and radiation therapy services in New England, is using Comcast Business Ethernet and Internet at its 36 locations throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. The performance and reliability of the Comcast infrastructure allows radiologists to share large imaging files quickly across offices for fast diagnoses and patient service.

A family-run business for more than 30 years, Shields Health Care Group offers MRI, PET/CT and radiation therapy services across Massachusetts, in Southern New Hampshire and in Maine. To meet the company's mission of providing affordable, access care along with top-quality treatment and diagnostic accuracy, radiologists must be able to quickly share files that range from 200 megabytes to one gigabyte in size between offices so each image is read and diagnosed as quickly as possible for patients and doctors.

"Our radiologists are our network monitoring system. We are notified immediately if there are any slow or non-working connections. With our last provider, we had several issues with the network and customer service. Since we switched to Comcast Business, we have been able to double the speed of our transfers for faster image sharing and have the ability to quickly expand our network to new healthcare partners in a matter of days," said Chuck Spurr, CIO at Shields Health Care Group.

Dedicated to using cutting-edge technology in its centers to provide accurate, timely diagnoses, the Shields IT team required an infrastructure partner that provided fast, agile networking. The group implemented Ethernet Network Service from Comcast Business with up to 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) of capacity that expedites the transfer of the data-heavy imaging files at 20 of its largest healthcare partners. The remaining 16 providers access the Shields network through Comcast Business Internet broadband services. An additional 10 Gigabit-per-second (Gbps) port at the company's main data center in Boston allows radiologists to easily send, store and access files across the network.

Shields locations also use this faster network to provide automated office services. As patients arrive for a visit, they are provided with a tablet to check in, complete any paperwork, check account balances and access their patient portals. "We are able to do more with our network while remaining cost efficient. When we offer new services, there is never a question if the network can handle it as Comcast has provided an agile infrastructure that can grow as needed. Our customer support team helps us operate at peak performance." Spurr added.

"Shields is the leading provider of MRI and healthcare imaging scans for most major Massachusetts hospitals and the official MRI provider of Boston-area professional sports teams. As their radiologists travel between various offices, it is critical that they have the ability to easily access images quickly to address patient questions," said Steve Walsh, vice president for Comcast Business in Greater Boston. "We are successfully meeting our goal of providing a flexible, responsive network services with top-notch customer service to assist Shields in serving their patients."

About Shields Health Care Group:
For more than 25 years, Shields Health Care Group has offered affordable, accessible care coupled with top-quality treatment and diagnostic accuracy. Our laser-focus on quality imaging and interpretation has made us the provider of choice for New England's finest physicians and pro sports teams alike. Patients turn to Shields for cutting-edge technology that enables accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Our partners and employees continue to work with Shields because we understand service means care of the patient and access to top-tier technology.

About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

About Comcast Cable:
Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company.  Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

SOURCE Comcast Cable