HP TouchSmart PCs bring ill children “face to face” with loved ones around the globe
PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 22, 2011
——————————————————————————–
The holidays came early for families and staff at Ronald McDonald House in Rochester, Minn., when HP announced it had provided new HP TouchSmart PCs and HP Compaq Pro All-in-one PCs.
HP TouchSmart 9300 Elite Business PCs were unveiled in every Ronald McDonald House guest room, while HP Compaq 6000 Pro All-in-One Business PCs now power the staff at Ronald McDonald House.
The Ronald McDonald House team will integrate its new technologies to enhance family communications. An HP TouchSmart screen will replace a hallway whiteboard that currently lists scheduled outings, activities and crafts.
In addition, in the privacy of their own guest room, parents can use the HP TouchSmart PC to log in to their child’s patient account at the Mayo Clinic. This enables them to keep up to date on appointments and lab results, day or night.
“Ill children and families come to us from around the world. They are going through tough times,” said Linda Bonow, executive director, Ronald McDonald House. “It’s wonderful to see a child’s eyes light up because they are able to see a funny face on a family member who is thousands of miles away. With the big TouchSmart screen, it’s like they are right there in the room with them, face to face and heart to heart.”
Enabling children to connect with loved ones, access information privately
The Ronald McDonald House in Rochester provides a “home away from home” and offers support to families seeking medical care for their children. The House is home to 42 families each night, and nearly 1,000 annually.
Previously, children and their families had to share five desktops in a public area during their stay. Now, with an HP TouchSmart 9300 Elite Business PC in each room, children and their families have a personal information and communication hub for the duration of their stay.
The built-in, adjustable webcam on the HP TouchSmart PC enables families to communicate “face to face” or send a video message to friends and loved ones.(1) Families also can use the HP TouchSmart PC’s browser to access information about a new diagnosis, use entertainment features such as TV, or connect with social networks in a natural, intuitive way.
The simple touch interface enables even the youngest children to play games and helps older kids do homework with a tap of a finger. For those with neurological disorders, the touchscreen is much easier to use than a keyboard and mouse.
Working parents also appreciate having a PC in the room so they can catch up while their child is asleep. Many families have only one PC, and now other family members can keep that PC at home so everyone can stay connected.
Family care gets a makeover with new technology
HP deployed the HP Compaq 6000 Pro All-in-One Business PC for the staff at Ronald McDonald House, delivering powerful performance, high-definition (HD) visuals and energy-saving features. Its one-cord design ensured easy, out-of-the-box setup and serviceability, removed previous cable clutter and provides a more functional workspace for the Ronald McDonald House team.
The most popular staff feature of the HP 6000 is the 21.5-inch diagonal, full HD, LED backlit, HP BrightView LCD screen, which offers crisp videoconferencing for face-to-face communications.
“Technology is a powerful tool that can provide information and reassurance, which makes a huge difference for both patients and caregivers,” said John Snaider, vice president and general manager, PC Regional Business Unit – Americas, HP. “HP is providing technology that connects Ronald McDonald House staff, patients and those that care about them.”
About HP
HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.
Filed under: Office News by WP_Admin
Comments Off
The HP LaserJet Pro 100 color MFP M175nw,(2) ideal for small to midsize businesses, provides professional-quality print, copy and scanning capabilities along with time- and cost-saving features that make the printer a smart strategic investment.
HP today enlarged the HP webOS world with the first webOS slate – the HP TouchPad – the breakthrough webOS user interface fully realized in the tablet experience.(1)