Companies Take Bold Steps Into Desktop Virtualization

Computerworld — At the new Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, the maxim "do no harm" extends beyond caregivers to members of the technology team, especially when they undertake a sweeping desktop virtualization project that could impact the daily routine of up to 9,000 clinicians.

"If we're going to take on technology change inside a critical care setting, and with systems that serve our sickest patients, we've got to have a well-thought-out plan for making sure it works and that there's backup," says Stephen Sears, director of cloud and virtualization services at the 1.6 million-square-foot hospital.

The sheer physical size of the new hospital meant clinicians would need to be more mobile and rely more heavily on wireless computing. In addition, caregivers were adopting a new clinical documentation system, and Sears knew that they would be spending much more time on desktops and mobile devices.