Panasonic Toughbook Case Study: Charleston County Medical Services Department, Charleston County, South Carolina
When the people at the Charleston County Medical Services Department go to work, they’re out to save lives. It’s a serious job that requires serious equipment. They conducted a three-year study to determine what hardware would meet the demands of their job. And when it came time to choose a laptop it was clear that a commercial grade laptop would not work for them. So they went with Panasonic Toughbook® 18s.
Don Lundy, Director of Charleston County EMS, states, “There is no comparison between the Panasonic Toughbook and any other commercial
product. The idea that you’re going to take a laptop into an emergency vehicle, drive it around rough roads, drop it out of a door, get it wet, and
do that with a commercial product is . . . absurd, because it would not make it. The Panasonic Toughbooks in our system have really been through the wringer . . . and keep going.”
Toughbooks are built with magnesium alloy cases, shock-mounted, removable hard drives, and moisture-resistant keyboards and touchpads
that are extremely vital in eliminating contamination while treating injured patients.
Lt. Todd McGeorge, Senior Crew Chief, added, “Because the Toughbook is such a durable and tough machine, we don’t have to worry about the computer. We can focus on patient care. Because the Toughbook has a sealed keyboard, we don’t have to worry about any type of blood or bodily fluids penetrating the computer and becoming a contamination hazard. The Toughbook system has been very portable… we can go inside the house with a patient to gain information, and... while transferring the patient to the hospital, we can take the Toughbook right in with the patient.”
When every second counts, Toughbooks deliver the durability medical services need while they minimize downtime—crucial when lives are at stake. Those at the Charleston County Medical Services Department know that they made the right decision deploying Panasonic Toughbooks.
