Building the Future of Healthcare: HM Hospitales and Huawei Create a Digital-First Medical Network
HM Hospitales, a leading private healthcare group in Spain, has partnered with Huawei to undertake a strategic network infrastructure transformation. This initiative addresses the evolving demands of modern healthcare delivery across their extensive network of 22 hospitals (and 5 in progress) and numerous clinics. The deployment of Huawei's advanced Wi-Fi 7 and cloud-managed network solution has established a unified, high-performance, and intelligent network platform. This foundation not only ensures reliable connectivity for critical medical applications but also actively enables key operational innovations, including seamless hospital-university roaming, high-quality VoWIFI for clinical communication, and a robust platform for future IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) expansion, positioning HM Hospitales at the forefront of digital healthcare in Spain.
HM Hospitales stands as a premier private healthcare network in Spain, renowned for seamlessly integrating cutting-edge medical excellence with a deep commitment to research and education. Founded in 1989 in Madrid, the group has grown into a nationwide system of 54 centers, including 22 hospitals (and 5 in progress) and numerous polyclinics across key regions.
Distinguishing itself through highly specialized hubs in Oncology, Cardiology, and Neurosciences, HM Hospitales demonstrates its pursuit of innovation through its status as a university hospital group and significant investments in digital transformation. With over 7,000 professionals delivering millions of consultations annually, HM Hospitales is not only a clinical benchmark but also a leader in bridging patient-centric care with technological progress.
To further its mission of delivering seamless, high-quality care across an expanding network, HM Hospitales recognized the need for a sophisticated IT infrastructure that could keep pace with its growth and technological ambition. The existing network, while having served the organization reliably, required evolution to fully support the integration of advanced medical equipment, facilitate real-time data exchange for cutting-edge treatments, and enhance the digital experience for a growing patient population.
The key drivers for this transformation were centered on three primary challenges:
First, the pursuit of a unified and scalable architectural foundation. As the hospital group expanded, its network infrastructure—having evolved organically over time—presented challenges for centralized management and effortless scaling, making it difficult to guarantee uniform performance and seamlessly integrate new digital services group-wide.
Second, enhancing centralized visibility and control for operational excellence. As the hospital network grew in both size and complexity, the operational model that relied on managing individual systems became increasingly difficult to scale, highlighting the need for a unified management platform.
Third, advancing the foundation for continuous security and reliability. In line with the rapid evolution of medical technology and cybersecurity threats, a proactive upgrade was essential to establish a robust foundation capable of supporting the latest security protocols and ensuring the high levels of reliability required for critical healthcare applications.
Based on these strategic objectives, Huawei co-created a next-generation intelligent campus network with HM Hospitales, designed not merely as an infrastructure upgrade but as a platform for digital care delivery.
A Foundation for Medical-Grade Connectivity: The solution establishes a robust, high-performance network core with a comprehensive Wi-Fi 7 deployment, featuring a strategic mix of flagship AirEngine 8771-X1 and high-performance AirEngine 5776-26 access points. This creates a high-capacity, highly reliable wireless fabric capable of supporting the most demanding clinical applications with the ultra-low latency required for real-time data access and advanced telemedicine. A comprehensive upgrade of the wired access layer with 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet switches ensures robust, high-bandwidth connectivity for all critical medical devices.
Intelligence at the Core for Simplified Operations: Beyond raw performance, the network was imbued with deep intelligence through Huawei's Cloud Campus solution, integrated with the CampusInsight platform. This cloud-managed architecture centralizes control and automates network-wide operations, providing the IT team with unprecedented visibility into network health and user experience.
The collaboration has yielded a network that fundamentally enhances HM Hospitales' operational capabilities and clinical service potential. The most immediate impact is the creation of a seamless, high-performance connectivity experience across all facilities, ensuring that critical patient care systems and data-intensive diagnostic applications operate on a foundation of unparalleled reliability.
Operationally, the intelligent cloud management platform has dramatically simplified network deployment and maintenance. The centralized view and automated capabilities have significantly reduced management overhead, freeing the IT team to focus on strategic initiatives that directly support clinical objectives.
Importantly, the new network has become a catalyst for clinical and operational innovation, enabling three key advancements:
Seamless Roaming Between Hospital and University: The network supports flawless connectivity for professors and clinicians who move between academic and clinical duties, allowing their devices to maintain secure, uninterrupted connections as they transition from university lectures to hospital rounds.
Enhanced Clinical Communication with VoWIFI: The robust Wi-Fi coverage now enables high-quality voice-over-WiFi (VoWIFI) services, overcoming potential limitations in cellular coverage within hospital buildings and ensuring reliable communication for medical staff.
Foundation for IoMT and Smart Hospital Services: The infrastructure provides a perfect platform for integrating Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices, creating immediate opportunities for implementing indoor navigation for patients and visitors, tracking high-value medical equipment, and developing other smart hospital solutions that enhance both operational efficiency and the patient experience.
This project has delivered more than an upgraded infrastructure; it has established a future-proof platform for innovation. HM Hospitales is now powerfully equipped to confidently accelerate its digital transformation journey and reinforce its leadership in private healthcare.
“We are addressing a profound transformation that allows us to reduce technical debt, adapt to the current healthcare environment, and prepare for the future,” said a representative from HM Hospitales. “Thanks to collaboration with technology partners like Huawei, we are building a robust, secure, and scalable infrastructure.”
