THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING
Weekly Brief
Be first to read the latest tech news, Industry Leader's Insights, and CIO interviews of medium and large enterprises exclusively from Healthcare Tech Outlook
Arwen Gannaway, Vice President, Systems TechnologiesThe story of Systems Technologies began in 1994 when two sales professionals arrived at work to find the doors locked, the equipment gone, and no paychecks waiting for them. What remained was not a company, but experience. They understood communication systems, healthcare environments and that customers still needed dependable solutions.
Instead of walking away, Bruce Tomblin and Linda Paris chose to build something of their own.
There was no formal business plan. No investor backing. Just a belief that if they listened carefully and delivered what facilities truly needed, they could build a company grounded in reliability and long-term relationships.
Not long after, they found themselves presenting traditional phone systems to a local senior living campus. The customer declined. What they actually needed was a wireless nurse call system. At the time, dependable wireless options were limited. Rather than stepping back, Systems Technologies stepped forward. They built their own system.
Nearly three decades later, that same campus remains a customer, operating on original hardware that has evolved through updates and enhancements. That early decision defined the company’s identity: listen first, build intentionally, and commit for the long term.
“Systems Technologies isn’t really about selling products. It’s about listening to our community, building relationships, and providing what’s needed, even if it means creating something entirely new,” said Arwen Gannaway, Vice President at Systems Technologies.
Engineering Reliability by Design
Why does controlling transmitter design matter for long-term reliability in healthcare communication systems?
Systems Technologies operates as both a manufacturing and engineering company. It designs and manufactures its own proprietary 900 MHz wireless transmitters in the U.S., purpose-built specifically for nurse call, senior living, and healthcare environments.
This distinction matters.
Systems Technologies isn’t really about selling products. It’s about listening to our community, building relationships, and providing what’s needed, even if it means creating something entirely new.
Rather than relying on third-party transmitters integrated into a broader system, Systems Technologies maintains control over design, compatibility, and long-term performance. The result is dependable wireless communication engineered for healthcare demands.
The strength of the 900 MHz platform lies in its simplicity and consistency. The system is true plug-and-play. It does not require ongoing IT management. It does not compete with Wi-Fi bandwidth. It does not interfere with other wireless systems within a facility. Nurse call performance operates independently of the facility’s network infrastructure.
In healthcare environments where response time and uptime are critical, that independence reduces technical burden and operational risk.
Because Systems Technologies controls both engineering and manufacturing, it also ensures long-term backwards compatibility. Hardware installed decades ago continues to operate alongside modern software updates and feature enhancements. Facilities are not forced into replacement cycles to access new capabilities.
During global supply chain disruptions, this operational independence also proved critical. With transmitters manufactured domestically, Systems Technologies maintained availability and continuity when many providers faced delays.
Proving Wireless in a Hardwired Industry
What steps demonstrated that wireless nurse call systems could meet healthcare safety standards?
When Systems Technologies first introduced wireless nurse call systems, skepticism was common. Hardwired systems had long been considered the standard across healthcare environments.
Decision-makers questioned whether wireless could meet the same performance expectations.
To address this directly, Systems Technologies pursued ETL listing to UL 1069 standards — a certification required in many skilled nursing and acute care environments. Achieving this milestone demonstrated that wireless systems could meet the same rigorous safety standards as traditional hardwired infrastructure.
Performance over time reinforced that proof. As reliability was demonstrated in senior living settings, adoption expanded into skilled nursing, memory care, and acute care environments. The company’s 900 MHz mesh architecture provided the coverage and dependability required in complex facilities without introducing IT dependency.
“We’ve seen a significant shift in the industry over the past 30 years,” said Arwen Gannaway. “Providers are increasingly embracing technologies that offer flexibility and proven reliability.”
Real-World Application across Diverse Facilities
How are wireless nurse call systems implemented across complex multi-building healthcare campuses?
One example illustrates how Systems Technologies approaches implementation.
A multi-building campus in California was operating with three different nurse call systems across 14 buildings. Integration challenges limited reporting visibility, and the facility’s electronic health record platform could not interface with existing systems.
They required a unified solution that would standardize operations, integrate with their EHR platform, and remain cost-effective.
Systems Technologies worked directly with the organization to deploy a consolidated wireless nurse call platform across the campus. Integration with their electronic health records system was developed in phases. Custom reporting features were built to align with their operational requirements.
The result was a standardized system across buildings, improved visibility into reporting, and streamlined workflows.
Importantly, the solution did not require a large-scale infrastructure overhaul. The wireless architecture allowed installation without significant construction or IT reconfiguration.
Supporting Memory Care and High-Risk Environments
When it comes to memory care and hospice environments, Systems Technologies’ WanderVision, Vision Link II, and MircoVision platforms are designed to provide silent staff alerts, wireless elopement detection, and facility-wide notification without unnecessary disruption.
These systems can operate independently or integrate into a broader nurse call platform. Wireless detectors and monitoring devices provide real-time alerts while maintaining straightforward deployment.
The emphasis is on operational clarity: dependable alerts, quick response, and minimal false signals. By reducing alarm fatigue and eliminating unnecessary interference, staff can respond efficiently while maintaining consistent monitoring standards.
Built for Every Size of Care Community
One of the defining aspects of Systems Technologies is its refusal to limit its focus to only large healthcare systems.
The company supports facilities across the full spectrum of care environments — from six-bed adult family homes to multi-campus continuing care retirement communities and large hospital systems.
It also provides targeted solutions, including bathroom call systems and standalone monitoring applications. This flexibility reflects the company’s foundational belief: every facility deserves dependable communication systems, regardless of scale.
Lifetime Support without Contracts
Systems Technologies pairs its engineering model with a long-term support commitment.
Customers receive free technical support for the life of their system. There are no required annual contracts. No outsourced call centers. Support staff operate directly from the company’s Idaho headquarters.
Because the company designs and manufactures its own products, technical teams understand system architecture in depth. Issues are resolved efficiently. Training for new staff is provided as needed. System updates are supported directly.
By eliminating ongoing support fees and simplifying access to expertise, Systems Technologies reinforces predictability in ownership cost and performance continuity.
Enhancing a Proven Platform
Looking forward, Systems Technologies is expanding capabilities within its established wireless framework.
Planned enhancements include AI-assisted reporting tools, cloud-based dashboards, remote programming capabilities, and expanded analytics features. These developments are positioned as extensions of the current platform — not replacements.
Backwards compatibility remains central. Facilities will be able to adopt new features at their own pace without replacing working infrastructure.
“The future of wireless nurse call systems is about becoming more connected and more intelligent, while maintaining the reliability our customers depend on,” Arwen Gannaway says.
The objective is measured improvement: smarter reporting, greater operational insight, and continued independence from unnecessary IT complexity.
Across senior living campuses, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, and small residential care homes, Systems Technologies delivers systems designed to operate quietly, consistently, and predictably — exactly as healthcare environments require.
Dependable Wireless Nurse Call Systems for Modern Care Environments
Healthcare executives responsible for resident safety technologies face a familiar tension. Care environments continue to expand in scale and complexity while staffing pressures demand faster response times and clearer visibility into events across a facility. Traditional hardwired nurse call infrastructure once defined the standard for dependability, yet modern healthcare campuses now require systems that adapt to changing layouts, mixed levels of care and evolving digital workflows. Wireless nurse call technology has moved from an experimental alternative to an increasingly practical option for organizations that require flexibility without sacrificing trust in critical alerts.
Facility leaders evaluating these systems often begin with a straightforward concern: whether wireless signaling can match the reliability historically associated with hardwired infrastructure. Nurse call alerts carry life-safety implications, which means reliability cannot depend on ideal conditions or constant IT supervision. Effective wireless platforms, therefore, rely on dedicated communication protocols designed specifically for healthcare environments rather than general-purpose networking tools. A wireless architecture built around purpose-designed transmitters reduces interference, avoids congestion with other facility networks and maintains consistent signal performance across large campuses or multi-building communities.
System simplicity has become equally significant. Senior living communities, memory care environments and skilled nursing facilities rarely maintain extensive technical teams to manage specialized infrastructure. Administrators, therefore, favor systems that function reliably without requiring ongoing network configuration or complex software oversight. Plug-and-play deployment and straightforward device integration enable facilities to gradually expand coverage while maintaining dependable performance. This approach enables nurse call platforms to scale across campuses that range from a single building to multiple care units serving different resident populations.
Longevity also matters. While safety infrastructure can last decades, technology evolves quickly. Systems built for long-term compatibility allow facilities to add new features without a full hardware replacement. Backward compatibility keeps previous devices functioning as software changes or new tools are introduced. This protects investments and reduces disruption in active care campuses, where replacing equipment can be challenging.
Regulatory alignment also plays an important role. Acute care and skilled nursing environments operate under strict life-safety requirements, and technology must meet established certification standards. Wireless nurse call platforms that meet recognized safety benchmarks show healthcare leaders that wireless infrastructure can achieve the same dependability once associated exclusively with hardwired systems. Certification, however, represents only part of the evaluation. Decision-makers increasingly consider whether the technology can support specialized care environments, such as memory care or hospice units, where resident movement patterns and safety needs differ from those in traditional hospital settings.
Wireless monitoring has also begun to extend beyond basic call signaling. Facilities now expect tools that support resident mobility while maintaining discreet safeguards. Systems that quietly alert caregivers when a resident approaches an exit or requires assistance allow staff to respond promptly without creating an intrusive environment for residents. Integration with reporting tools and clinical platforms further enhances the value of these systems by enabling administrators to analyze response patterns and improve care coordination.
Among the providers that address these expectations, Systems Technologies offers a model shaped by extensive experience in wireless nurse call development. The company designs and manufactures its own 900 megahertz transmitters specifically for healthcare signaling, a decision that allows tighter control over reliability and long-term compatibility.
Its wireless network operates independently of typical facility networks, providing consistent coverage without ongoing IT oversight.
Systems Technologies meets safety standards with ETL listing to UL 1069, allowing use in skilled nursing and acute care settings.
With VisionLink, MicroVision and WanderVision platforms, Systems Technologies extends nurse call capabilities to include resident monitoring and elopement protection. These solutions enable faster caregiver response while preserving a comfortable living environment. Lifetime technical support, regular software enhancements, and a strong commitment to compliance add further value, making Systems Technologies a dependable and forward-looking choice for wireless infrastructure in healthcare settings.
...Read more
Company
Systems Technologies
Management
Arwen Gannaway, Vice President, Systems Technologies
Description
Systems Technologies designs and manufactures wireless nurse call and resident safety systems for senior living and healthcare settings. Known for long-term reliability, backwards compatibility, and lifetime technical support, Systems Technologies delivers dependable wireless platforms engineered for facilities of every size.
