This article is brought to you by Cox Business.

As it enters its 97^th year, Capital Area United Way’s role as a community connector has become more important than ever as people seek to find resources and meet needs amid challenging economic circumstances.

Last year, more than 50,000 calls were placed to the 211 resource line, which links callers to programs to help them find rental assistance, food, social services, health care and more. That call volume marked a substantial increase from 2020 and other previous years, said George Bell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Area United Way.

“The pandemic really brought the economy to a halt and impacted people who traditionally have not been affected by these types of situations,” Bell said. “People who have never had to rely on support or assistance now find themselves in a position where they need to reach out. With inflation, we are seeing that continue, especially in the area of food insecurity. The amount of money that used to be able to carry a family’s food needs to the end of the month now falls short.”

Because of the immediate nature of many families’ needs, Bell said Capital Area United Way has shifted its funding process. In the past, CAUW focused heavily on longer term three-year program funding. However, the emphasis now is on funding for projects that will take place in one year or less.

“We realized we needed additional resources more quickly because the needs have changed,” Bell said. “We’ve changed that mix of dollars so we can make more grants on a real-time basis for organizations that are serving people immediately.”

While Capital Area United Way is involved in multiple aspects of community work, Bell said that in recent months there has been an increased emphasis on providing educational resources, food and childcare. The organization continued its work to give kids the proper resources, which became more important during virtual learning. By working closely with those families, CAUW realized that many needed assistance to feed their children because of a lack of school lunches. In turn, CAUW provided funding to several organizations that brought regular meals to neighborhoods.

“We also heard that child care was a major challenge,” Bell said. “We started working with organizations that provide after-school programming to see if they could safely provide that same type of program at other times of the day.”

In addition, Bell said CAUW has played a major role in helping Louisiana families and businesses recover from hurricane damage. Last year, CAUW received more than $1.8 million to help Hurricane Ida victims in four parishes. 100% of the funds raised were distributed into the 10-parish capital region to assist with immediate needs, ongoing recovery, and long term recovery and rebuilding.

“We really step into high gear when our communities are hit, and it’s something we are always preparing for,” he said.

Regardless of whether CAUW is providing funding, direct support or connecting residents to services, the work is done based on input from the community. Bell said CAUW staff visit local neighborhoods to speak with residents and issues surveys to find out what people are most concerned about. They also analyze all 211 cals by the nature of the inquiry, the caller’s ZIP code and whether the person’s need was met.

“All of that gives us direction on whether the programs and services we have currently are meeting the needs and if not, how can we bring those services to the people,” Bell said. “When we go out into the neighborhoods, it’s a very engaging process. We take their feedback to come up with strategies and initiatives to support them.”

Bell emphasized that individuals, families, corporate groups and others can be a part of CAUW’s work in multiple ways. Funding and monetary donations are significant, but so is volunteerism.

Regardless of whether CAUW is providing funding, direct support or connecting residents to services, the work is done based on input from the community. Bell said CAUW staff visit local neighborhoods to speak with residents and issues surveys to find out what people are most concerned about. They also analyze all 211 calls by the nature of the inquiry, the caller’s ZIP code and whether the person’s need was met.

“All of that gives us direction on whether the programs and services we have currently are meeting the needs and if not, how can we bring those services to the people,” Bell said. “When we go out into the neighborhoods, it’s a very engaging process. We take their feedback to come up with strategies and initiatives to support them.”

Bell emphasized that individuals, families, corporate groups and others can be a part of CAUW’s work in multiple ways. Funding and monetary donations are significant, but so is volunteerism.

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During the past two years, the Salvation Army in Baton Rouge has seen a dramatic shift when it comes to people seeking their assistance. For years, most of those individuals were from the north Baton Rouge area. Today, the Salvation Army serves thousands of families from across the region.

“During COVID, we started seeing people come to us who had never came to us before,” said Morgan Dailey, director of development for the Salvation Army’s Baton Rouge office. “Our services branched out across Baton Rouge and into Livingston and Ascension parishes as well. It’s pushed us to our maximum capacity.”

Dailey said that during the early days of COVID, the Salvation Army focused on providing regular hot meals to families. They knew children weren’t getting lunch at school and many parents had lost their jobs or seen their hours reduced, which limited their food budget. Two years later, Dailey said that ensuring local families have enough to eat remains a top Salvation Army priority. About 250 food boxes are distribute each month, with each containing about 25 pounds of dried goods, meat, eggs, cheese, drinks and other donated items.

“Food insecurity is still one of the biggest issues we see every day,” she said. “The number of people asking for our food boxes continues to tick up. Every time we have a food giveaway, the lines are huge. During the first one, it took us about four hours to distribute everything. When we did one last month, we were out of product in an hour. That just shows us that the need is still tremendous.”

Dailey said the Salvation Army sees needs in other areas as well. The 60-bed men’s shelter in Baton Rouge is usually filled to capacity every night. The Pathway of Hope program is also in high demand. Through the program, the Salvation Army works with families living in poverty through a two-year journey of meeting certain goals and establishing secure income, housing, transportation and child care with the ultimate goal of breaking the poverty cycle.

In addition, Dailey said the Salvation Army provides vouchers for clothing and furniture to families in need, as well as Entergy bill payment assistance to individuals and families who meet certain criteria.

“I think that when a lot of people think of the Salvation Army, they only think of us as a shelter, so a lot of people may not realize how much we are doing in the community on a day-to-day basis,” Dailey said. “We are helping families in need as well as hosting youth programs and afterschool events. It’s really quite a range of services.”

One of the cornerstones of the Baton Rouge Salvation Army is its free, men’s-only addiction recovery program. Dailey said most men in the program have recently been released from prison or want to enter a program in order to receive a reduced sentence on drug charges. During the six-month, faith-based program, each participant has a job with the Salvation Army and participates in activities such as Bible studies and church services on a regular basis.

“Once someone completes the program, they graduate but can stay with us on the property for up to another six months while they are looking for a job and getting settled,” Dailey said. “A lot of them use that time to handle their legal responsibilities and get their records in order.”

For many men, the recovery program has been a lifesaver. One man entered the program about eight years ago, struggling with addiction to heroin, meth and alcohol. He successfully completed the program, then became a Salvation Army truck driver, warehouse manager and transportation coordinator. Today, he lives in Oklahoma where he works as a lead technician for a property management company and has strong relationships with his children and grandchildren. In addition, Dailey said the Baton Rouge Salvation Army shelter manager is a graduate of the recovery program.

Dailey said none of the Baton Rouge Salvation Army’s work would be possible without donations and support from the community.

“Every dollar that is raised or donated here in Baton Rouge stays in this community,” she said. “The profits from our store are huge for us. When someone donates a T-shirt, that turns into $1.25, which is then turned into a meal. The store is essentially a fundraiser that allows us to continue helping the community. If people didn’t drop off donations or contribute, our doors truly would be closed because we can only do so much through grants and foundation funds.”

In addition to accepting donations of goods and finances, the Salvation Army also seeks volunteers on a regular basis.

“People’s time is very valuable, especially since we have a small staff,” Dailey said. “Even just a few hours a week can make a big difference.”

For more information on the Baton Rouge Salvation Army or to find ways to contribute, visit www.salvationarmybatonrouge.org.

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The world of work and the economy has changed dramatically in recent years. Employees are logging on from home to complete projects and handle routine tasks. Meetings have moved from conference rooms to mobile devices, with participants sometimes spread out across multiple cities and states. When a customer makes a purchase at a store or restaurant, he or she is just as likely to pay with their phone as with a credit card.

Through it all, Cox Business has made it a priority to create services and products that meet these changing needs for businesses of all sizes. From local restaurants and boutique stores to large companies with hundreds of employees and customers, Cox Business has a history of serving the companies and people that make up our local economies. That commitment has only been enhanced in today’s world.

It starts with a robust backhaul system that keeps businesses connected no matter what. This infrastructure has multiple bandwidth solutions and can be scaled as businesses grow. The system also has dozens of connection points to ensure that companies can stay online with minimal delays.

This system helps support Cox Business voice and internet services that keep employees on task no matter what. Whether there’s a natural disaster, a cybersecurity issue or a company simply allows it employees to work from a location of their choice, Cox Business tools make sure nobody misses a beat. Voice tools mean that customer calls to an office can be automatically forwarded to a person’s cell phone or chosen land line. They also give team members the ability to communicate quickly and effectively on any device. Internet tools also keep employees connected, engaged and responsive to customer needs.

In addition, business owners can rest easy knowing that Cox Business services keep their information secure with multiple solutions that allow for both privacy and backups of critical data. One popular offering is Cox Business managed wifi, which allows businesses to have multiple wireless networks for different uses and ensures that everyone has enough robust internet speed to meet their needs.

Cox Business also is committed to specializing its services for different industries. With Cox Prosight, employees at large medical facilities can easily keep track of valuable equipment, saving time and money. Prosight also has security features that employees can use to send out a secure alert in the event of an emergency. Since the technology behind Prosight is so robust, it could be used for other industries in the future.

The Cox Business team is dedicated to being flexible, adaptive and innovative. As the economy is changing, Cox Business is changing with it and is working every day with companies and their IT departments to stay on top of the latest technology and meet customers wherever they are. To learn more about these tools or to speak with a Cox Business representative, visit www.coxbusiness.com.

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This article is brought to you by Cox Business.

For a business owner, a natural disaster or a cyberattack is a worst-case scenario. Damage to infrastructure and data can mean lost revenue and an inability to serve customers in a timely fashion. As a solution, Cox Business offers multiple services that can ensure companies are up and running again even while a recovery is occurring or in progress.

For example, when Hurricane Ida struck south Louisiana in August 2021, Cox Business customers with cloud-based services were able to continue working from alternate locations, said Calli Trabeaux, Cox Business senior product manager for managed services. The same has been true for businesses that have suffered damages from fires, floods and other weather events that may cause employees to be displaced.

Trabeaux said one popular Cox Business offering are backup internet services that allow business owners and employees to get back online within seconds of an internet outage. The service is scalable, making it ideal for small stores and restaurants, large companies with multiple locations, or any business in between. This allows employees to continue to access data and stay in communication with each other using virtual platforms throughout the duration of the outage.

“The great thing about our products is that they are managed services, which means Cox Business manages the installation and maintenance of the service,” said Tim Adams, Cox Business enterprise senior product manager. “A customer may have to update some minor configurations, which is an easy step. Our professional implementation team can work with the customer to take care of everything else; the business owner doesn’t have to worry.”

Trabeaux added that all Cox Business managed products have been designed to operate automatically with minimal need for a customer to intervene.

“They are all designed to be set it and forget it solutions,” she said.

However, Cox Business team members are also on hand to answer questions and provide assistance as needed. In addition, business owners can log into their Cox Business My Account self-service portal from anywhere to make any necessary changes or updates.

Furthermore, Cox Business offers a full suite of voice services and calling features, like call forwarding, said Michelle Stanton, senior product manager for voice services. This means that if a customer calls a business number at an empty or damaged facility, those calls can immediately be forwarded to another designated landline or a cell phone to reach a company representative. Stanton said other Cox Business voice services allow business owners and employees to use their laptops as phones, complete with headsets, to stay connected.

Stanton noted that for voice customers who may be using call forwarding or other services for the first time, Cox Business experts have helped ensure the call flow is working properly so services are not interrupted.

“If we know we are facing a situation such as a hurricane in the Gulf, our sales representatives will reach out to our customers ahead of time to check on them and make sure they have everything they need,” Stanton said. “We also advise them on how to prepare to ensure they can keep their business running.”

Having businesses operational as soon as possible after a disaster has many implications for both companies and the community. Stanton noted that many of these businesses are supporting first responders in recovery efforts, meaning their services are vital in the restoration process.

Adams said studies have shown that business can lose thousands of dollars each hour they are offline, which can have major impacts on companies, employees, and the overall economy.

“We’re really proud of our products and the fact that we offer a suite of services to meet multiple needs,” Adams said. “Our internet backup products even come with a battery backup to help customers deal with situations like a short-term power outage. We are putting devices and infrastructure in businesses to help them overcome any challenges.”

For more information on Cox Business products and services, visit www.coxbusiness.com.

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This article is brought to you by Cox Business.

Having a strong and reliable wireless network can be a gamechanger for a business owner. Customers can use it to share photos and experiences on social media, spreading the brand’s name to more people. Others may choose to place orders or pay using a mobile device to streamline the process. Employees can connect with colleagues, track inventory and monitor the premises.

However, a quality wifi system is much more than a modem and a router. For business owners, a managed wifi solution is more robust and secure, with additional capabilities that can make them more efficient and better able to serve customers.

“Our managed wifi is professionally designed to ensure a secure network with firewall protection that can cover every part of a building or only certain areas,” said Calli Trabeaux, a senior product marketing manager with Cox Business. “Our managed wifi solution is completely scalable. We can provide it to a customer with a 2,000 square foot building, a large high rise hotel, or anything in between. It is definitely a customizable solution.”

For example, Trabeaux said Cox Business managed wifi customers can create splash pages, which automatically show up on a device when someone logs onto the network. These pages can be used as marketing tools to share more information about the business or coupons for special discounts. They may also prompt customers to enter their email addresses, which business owners can use to contact them in the future.

In addition, a managed wifi network can be turned off during non-business hours. Trabeaux said this added protection can prevent people from parking near a business and using its wifi to stream content, which uses valuable bandwidth, or download illegal content, which can be connected back to the network and could mean trouble for the business.

“The security aspect is really a main advantage of having managed wifi,” she said. “We offer a secure private network to run a business and a separate guest network with firewalls. We also offer speed tiering, which limits the amount of bandwidth guests can use to ensure each customer has a sufficient amount. Nobody wants a situation where someone is streaming content and slowing down business or the network for other customers.”

Trabeaux said that as technology evolves, businesses are finding new and unique ways to used managed wifi. Besides functions like wireless printing and contactless payments, some companies even use the network to control aspects of their facilities, such as thermostats, locks, lighting and more. Others have created separate managed wifi networks for employees – one to use for business purposes and one to use exclusively in break rooms or non-work areas for recreation, such as streaming videos or using social media.

Trabeaux emphasized that Cox Business seeks to partner with a business’ internal IT staff on managed wifi needs by handling some routine responsibilities, monitoring equipment and quickly addressing any outages, allowing IT personnel to focus on larger initiatives.

“We aren’t coming in to take anyone’s job,” Trabeaux said. “We want to work with them to help their business be more effective and able to do more than they could before. A lot of times, people are scared of the unknown, but we do want to be a true partner.”

For more on Cox managed wifi and other business solutions, visit www.coxbusiness.com.

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This article is brought to you by Cox Business.

When a customer or employee walks onto a business property, it isn’t unusual for that footage to be captured on surveillance cameras. Increasingly, business owners use cameras to monitor operations and keep people safe. As these tools become more prevalent, many are finding ways to use them that are helping them run a more efficient business.

For example, a sandwich shop in Louisiana adjusted its staffing after using Cox Business video tools to see when more employees were needed because of high customer volume. Some retail store owners have moved merchandise to areas that they see have more foot traffic. Property owners have used the footage to help them adjust thermostats and lighting according to when more people are at work, thus keeping energy costs down and saving them money. Some receive alerts if an entry alarm is not disabled by a certain time, ensuring that employees are at work and serving customers during scheduled hours. 

“From our perspective, our security solutions are business management tools,” said Shane Crouchet, sales manager for Cox Business Security Solutions. “It gives owners the ability to watch their business no matter where they are. They can watch things in real time or go back and review information. It allows them to monitor every aspect of their operations to make them more efficient and effective.”

Crouchet said Cox Business uses visible cameras and alarms on an integrated platform. In some cases, the cameras and alarms run continuously. They may also be automatically turned on whenever a certain door is opened or sensors detect activity in a certain area. Owners can monitor the footage via an app on their mobile devices or online using a desktop or laptop computer.

“I think that in this day and age, more people are being proactive with these tools,” Crouchet said. “We come in contact with a wide variety of businesses – mom and pop shops, restaurants, apartment complexes and many others. It’s so important to us to go out and meet with the customer to identify their needs because no two customers are exactly alike.”

Cox Business takes the same customer-centric approach when it comes to helping companies implement digital security solutions. As businesses rely on technology and connectivity in more ways than ever, many have discovered the importance of having the right safeguards in place to make sure employee and customer information remains private.

Calli Trabeaux, a senior product marketing manager with Cox Business, said one of the most overlooked security tools helps mitigate distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyberattacks. When left unchecked, such attacks can shut down websites, meaning customers or clients cannot get through. Trabeaux said Cox Business’ tools identify such attacks early on and resolve the issues so that business can continue uninterrupted.

Other popular tools are email security and backup as a service, Trabeaux said. Cox Business partners with Mimecast to detect phishing or malware via email. The backup as a service tool allows businesses to automatically back up their data and continue operations in the event of a cyberattack.

“With email security, we do have training tools that employees can use to help them recognize if something malicious is coming in,” Trabeaux said. “If an email threat does come through and is clicked on, our backup as a service lets the company run their business just as it was prior to the attack.”

Trabeaux said the tools are cloud-based, meaning they can be utilized even if a business’ physical location is inaccessible or damaged.

“Some customers prefer on-site storage, but many realize that with events like Hurricane Ida, they may not be able to get to their location right away,” she said. “When the data is cloud-based, they can use that to get their business back up and running immediately.”

Trabeaux noted that the Cox Business tools allow data to be backed up and retrieved down to the file level. For example, if someone accidentally deletes a critical presentation or document, it can be retrieved and restored without work having to be repeated.

While some small business owners may be hesitant to implement digital security tools, believing that scammers are more likely to target large companies, many do often target local businesses because they are easier to access because of less stringent security measures. In most cases, hackers will attack multiple small businesses at the same time, meaning more money for them and more impacts to locally owned companies across the country, many of whom are not aware of related attacks.

For more information on Cox Business security solutions, visit www.coxbusiness.com.

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A major shift has happened among businesses of all sizes across the country. Increasingly, companies are allowing employees to work at least part of the time from a remote location. To help managers and workers stay connected and keep their information secure, Cox Business has multiple services that ensure businesses can keep serving customers without missing a beat.

“I think more businesses have realized that their employees are just as productive, if not more productive, when they are working remotely,” said Calli Trabeaux, a senior product marketing manager with Cox Business. “As a managed service provider, we can offer everything a business would need to deploy a remote workforce, including voice
services, internet access and more. It’s about helping employees be just as engaged in the business from home or on the road as they are in the office.”

For example, Cox Business voice customers can use the online portal, known as My Account, to control multiple  features and functions. When a customer dials the business phone number, an owner can arrange for that call to go to a cell phone or alternate landline, meaning the customer can have their needs met even if the business staff is
working elsewhere.

“We’ve seen this work well in day-to-day situations, but also if an office is damaged by a disaster and a company has to set up in a remote location for a certain period of time,” said Michelle Stanton, senior voice product marketing manager with Cox Business.

Stanton said other Cox Business voice options include simultaneous ringing, in which a call can go to multiple managers or employees at the same time; a service that transcribes voicemails into emails that are sent to the  appropriate person; and an auto attendant function in which a caller presses a certain number to reach an employee.

“All of these are remote capabilities that can be used in any situation, not just emergencies,” Stanton said. “It allows businesses to have their employees anywhere while still providing services to customers and making sure their needs are met.”

Stanton said Cox Business also offers enhanced Cisco Webex services to its customers. This allows teams to collaborate via video conferencing, share documents and materials and answer calls, even if employees are spread  across multiple locations. Trabeaux added that Cox has support teams for Microsoft 365 to help businesses learn how to use the software to collaborate on documents and projects, transfer calls between desktop and mobile devices and more.

When employees are traveling, working from public locations or need to travel to meet customers, having a reliable internet connection can be crucial. To help meet that need, Trabeaux pointed out that all Cox Business internet customers have wifi hotspot access through participating nearby Cox customers.

“If a Cox customer needs internet access, they can log into their account using their Cox credentials and connect to an available hotspot,” she said. “It’s completely secure and there are no usage charges. It allows employees to get  work done from thousands of remote locations and the information for each Cox customer is kept completely private.”

Trabeaux said Cox Business has also enhanced its desktop as a service capabilities. This means that all applications  are cloud-based, which allows employees to use any device to access the software they need. Businesses have also found this saves time and money on firmware and device updates, especially when employees and devices may be spread across multiple locations.

“We’ve seen our customers move to a bring-your-own-device model, where employees use a personal laptop,” she said. “With this service, those employees can log in to their personal device and see exactly what they would see on their computer at work. It’s a secure platform and if the device is lost or stolen, everything is stored virtually in the
cloud, so the information is safe.”

Trabeaux said Cox has seen businesses successfully use the desktop as a service model on laptops, tablets, phones  and other devices.

“The beauty of it is that the employee gets the same work experience no matter where they are or what device they are using,” she said. “It’s very versatile. It really is ideal for businesses who are looking to fully manage the employee experience and make sure their employee can access what they need when they need it.”

For more information on Cox Business services, visit www.coxbusiness.com.

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In today’s economy, a strong and reliable internet connection is a necessity for any business. Whether a company is selling goods online, maintaining a consistent social media presence or communicating with team members in multiple locations, staying connected is vital.

To meet these ever-growing needs, Cox Business is utilizing the best available technology for its backhaul system, which includes a backbone network and smaller subnetworks. The system ensures that companies can have reliable connections even when handling large amounts of data and communications.

A primary benefit of the Cox Business fiber-optic network is that it’s owned and maintained exclusively by Cox. Additionally, a team of experts within the company’s network operations center  proactively monitors the data backbone 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure reliability and continuity.

“We’re not reliant on a model where other providers are dictating our traffic routing decisions,” said Monte Danos, field marketing director for the Cox Business Southeast Region. “We  intentionally designed our network with the ability to re-route internet traffic if any portion of the system is damaged. Our investment in a self-healing network architecture is a key differentiator and speaks to our commitment to the customer experience.”

Danos said the Cox Business backbone also features a national footprint, which means data can be transferred faster and more efficiently over its robust secure network. Similar to the U.S. interstate highway system, Cox’s network has more than 150 peering partners across multiple distributed peering sites which serve as virtual “off-ramps” for internet traffic. The network can also be used by large businesses to securely and directly transport sensitive data between multiple locations.

Another key benefit of the Cox Business backhaul system is scalability and flexibility. Every business is unique and accordingly so are their bandwidth needs. Several factors such as employee size, business scope and number of locations are important consideration points. And with  bandwidth options up to 100 Gbps, Cox Business can help companies maximize business productivity.

“Whether you’re a small retail store, a growing engineer firm or a large enterprise customer, everything we do is truly scalable,” Danos said. “As a company’s bandwidth needs continue to grow or they require additional enhancements and features, we can layer that on top of their core connectivity. We are in it for the long haul with our customers and here to grow with them.”

Danos said it is also important to evaluate resource allocation when choosing a data provider. He said Cox Business provides a balanced approach of utilizing both national and local support teams to address customer needs.

“We take being a trusted provider seriously,” he said. “We have resources across the country monitoring our network and staffing our 24/7 virtual care center. Meanwhile in South Louisiana, our installation and repair teams are local Cox employees, and so are our account representatives. Many providers don’t necessarily have those local resources, but we have boots on the ground throughout the Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans regions.”

For more information on Cox Business services, visit www.cox.com/business.

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An innovative and integrated technology platform from Cox Communications has the potential to help hospitals and medical facilities become more efficient, improve patient care and keep  employees safe.

The platform, Cox Prosight, allows hospital staff to track and locate devices and call for security by touching their employee badge if a situation arises. In addition, visitors can use Cox Prosight to help navigate their way through large hospitals with multiple floors and offices.

“The ultimate goal is to create a much better experience for patients, caregivers and families in the hospital,” said George Valentine, executive director of new growth and development for Cox  Communications.

Valentine said a key component of Cox Prosight is device tracking. Each device is equipped with a digital tag. Using the platform, hospital staff can use that tag to locate the device to within a few feet of its actual location.

“A nurse can spend up to 30 minutes or more on a shift looking for equipment,” Valentine said. “They would rather spend that time caring for patients instead of looking for assets. That’s a big driver of why we are doing this.”

Valentine said the tracking can also result in significant cost savings for a hospital, meaning those funds can instead go toward patient care.

“An average 150-bed hospital loses about $700,000 a year in medical equipment,” he noted. “Sometimes it’s left in an ambulance or with a patient. Sometimes things get stolen or lost. That number could easily be over a million dollars for a larger hospital. We want to help them try to save that money by helping them know exactly where their assets are at all times.”

Lafayette hospital sees immediate success

Ochsner Lafayette General became the first major hospital to implement Cox Prosight when it began using the system in early August. Within just two months, clinicians there have noticed they are saving time by using device tracking to locate equipment, rather than walking through multiple floors and rooms to find what a patient needs.

“Instead of searching for devices for 45 minutes to an hour, they are able to find the device and have it brought to where it is needed in five or 10 minutes,” said Michael Dozier, Vice President for Ochsner Lafayette General. “That means more time for clinicians to be at a patient’s beside or in the nursing unit.”

Dozier said the hospital has seen particular success with locating IV pumps, which are needed for many patients and cost about $10,000 each. In addition, nurses have been able to more easily locate bed lifts when a patient needs one.

“We only have a handful of those in the facility, so before we were using Cox Prosight, people were having to call every unit and search rooms and hallways,” Dozier said. “Now we have tags on them that allow us to find the bed lift they need within five feet of where it is. That’s been incredibly useful for our nurses and biomed team.”

Valentine said the digital tagging can also help hospitals ensure that all equipment follows the appropriate maintenance and cleaning schedules and is stored in the proper locations.

“They can optimize a device’s route through the facility,” he said. “We can alert the biomed staff that there is equipment that needs to be cleaned so they can actively start doing preventative maintenance and cleaning versus waiting on someone to tell them that equipment needs service.”

Valentine added that Cox Prosight can give hospital leaders better insight into how many specific devices they have on hand and their locations. This can help them decide whether they need to  order more devices or reallocate them more efficiently.

“A health care system may often feel like they need to buy more equipment. Sometimes, that is the case, and sometimes they have plenty of it but can’t get it to the right unit,” he said. “With the data we have, we bring clarity to those decisions.”

Alert system gives staff quicker access to security

Another key component of Cox Prosight is the ability to equip employee badges with a small button that can be pressed when that employee is in duress. Valentine said the idea was prompted by the fact that as many as 75% of nurses across the country experience physical or verbal abuse on the job each year.

“We want them to be able to get the support and security they need when a situation is beginning to escalate,” Valentine said. “I think it will give a lot of peace of mind to staff who are worried about these types of issues.”

Dozier said Ochsner Lafayette General plans to roll out this portion of Cox Prosight in November and December. The button will let security know the employee’s exact location in the hospital, meaning they will be able to receive help in just a few minutes. Without such a system, Dozier said it’s possible that security may not learn about a problem for several minutes, or perhaps not at all.

“Every hospital in the country has seen problems with violence and behavioral health issues,” Dozier said. “We’re really excited about the opportunity to keep our employees and our patients safer. This will allow us to have wall-to-wall coverage anywhere in our facility because when someone pushes that button, it will let security identify their location within 10 feet. I think this is something that every hospital is going to have to adopt in the future to promote safety and security.”

Future Uses

Cox Prosight also includes a wayfinding feature to help patients navigate large buildings that may be unfamiliar to them. Using indoor GPS and a mobile-friendly design, the feature lets patients pin their current location, then gives them turn-by-turn directions to the office or unit they need to visit. Valentine noted that Prosight was designed with end users in mind, so the system is as easy as possible to use.

“We built our solution to be mobile-optimized on day one,” he said, noting that most people have a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device in hand. “We want everything to have a consistent look and feel. Making it accessible for everyone and using real-time location services was huge for us.”

Valentine said the company is in talks with hospitals across the country about implementing Cox Prosight in their facilities. But he also believes the platform could eventually be used in places like surgery centers, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers.

“All of these facilities are looking to get more efficient and produce better patient experiences, and we think we enable both of those things,” he said.

Dozier said Ochsner Lafayette General is open to using Cox Prosight at its other locations. But based on the initial feedback and improved efficiency, he believes the platform is poised to be a long term success for Ochsner Lafayette General and other health systems across the nation.

“Just in terms of the device tracking, the amount of money that is wasted through lost equipment and not being able to find equipment is staggering for any health system,” Dozier said. “We believe it is going to save us several hundred thousand dollars a year. Those are dollars we are going to be able to reinvest toward patient care. Other health systems likely have the same problems, so they should realize those are lost dollars that they could be using elsewhere.”

For more information on Cox Prosight, visit www.coxprosight.com.

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The Heroman family can trace its roots in the floral business all the way back to the 1800s. That was when Fred William Heroman opened a store at the corner of Fourth and Main Streets in Baton Rouge, selling only religious items. As a community service, he began landscaping the four corners at Fourth and Main with flowers provided by the Heroman family. The service became so  popular that Fred William purchased flowers from local gardens and sold them to the public. As time passed, the store became known for its flowers, and Fred William shifted gears to focus his own store on flowers and plants.

The store eventually closed and members of the Heroman family pursued other business interests, including horticulture. But in September 1955, Billy Heroman, then selling real estate, was pulled back into the floral business. With financial support from his family and a local bank, Billy and his wife Janet opened the first location of Billy Heroman’s Flowerland at 3923 Perkins Road. In August 1960, the store moved to 1946 Perkins Road.

Today, the company has grown so much that there are four Billy Heroman’s locations in Baton Rouge. Buzzy Heroman, who now runs the business, said much of that success comes from strong relationships. “The two most valuable things we have are our team members and our customers,” Buzzy said. “We try to treat everyone the same. My grandfather and my dad told me all my life to treat people the way you want to be treated. That’s one of our company core values. We tell our employees to take care of people. It’s simple, but it goes a long way.”

At Billy Heroman’s, there is a longstanding commitment to quality. The company has its  own greenhouses and only stocks products from the best floral breeders around the world. Buzzy said staff members are trained on how to maintain and handle the flowers and plants so that they last as long as possible. “We only buy the highest quality flowers, and we buy them direct from farms that take three or four steps in what is called the Chain of Life,” Buzzy said. “Then, we get the flowers and take three or four more steps here. That makes a big difference.”

That commitment to exceptional quality is another one of the core values at Billy Heroman’s. The company stresses providing outstanding customer service with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, working efficiently, working as a team and paying attention to detail in every task, job or situation.

“There is definitely a strong sense of pride in the legacy and history of the business,” said Robert Heroman, a fourth generation family member who also works at the company alongside his father Buzzy, his brother, Ben and his cousin, Todd McBride. “Our family has always stepped up to make sure our customers were taken care of, as well as our longtime team members. That’s something I’ve always learned and lived by – it’s always about taking care of people.”

In the past year, the team at Billy Heroman’s has had to change how they take care of people. The retail stores were closed for two months in 2020, but the company continued to take phone and online orders and expanded its delivery area. There was a decline in the company’s interior plantscaping business as many of those locations, including hotels, banks and malls, were closed or cut costs during the pandemic. However, Buzzy said things are steadily improving and the company is optimistic that its solid reputation and relationships with customers will help them grow despite the the recent challenges.

“Our business has grown this past year. The holidays were really big for us. I think that’s because our customers trust us. They know we are going to offer and deliver the best product possible,” Buzzy said. “The future is bright for us. We stand on a firm foundation in a great industry with a wonderful and talented team. Our goals include further expanding our service offerings throughout Louisiana and expanding our product offerings into business segments that fulfill the needs of our customers.”

Billy Heroman’s has four locations in Baton Rouge, at 10812 North Harrell’s Ferry Road, 13726 Perkins Road, 1946 Perkins Road and 132 Lee Drive. For more information, visit www.billyheromans.com.

Article: https://www.theadvocate.com/sponsored/baton_rouge/cox_business/article_c4825eb4-be31-11eb-8429-973cfe6f10d9.html

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