NEC NEC090405 User guide

Applications at the forefront of technology
Katie Couric, co-host of the NBC “TODAY Show,” established the Jay Monahan
Center for Gastrointestinal Health in honor of her late husband, Jay Monahan, who
died of the disease in 1998 at age 42. The Jay Monahan Center’s mission is to
provide superior health care to patients and to educate the public about the need
for early detection. Since Couric began her awareness campaign, colonoscopy
screenings have increased by nearly 20 percent in the United States. This boost in
screenings may save countless lives since colorectal cancer, the second-leading cause
of cancer death in the U.S., has a 90 percent survival rate if detected early.
the challenge
The Jay Monahan Center had the challenge of spreading awareness about colorectal
cancer and other gastrointestinal issues while also affording patients the best
treatment options, latest tests, and skilled doctors. Therefore, the Center’s lobby
needed eye-catching visual equipment to draw attention to their cause and
encourage passersby to learn more about gastrointestinal health. In addition,
because the Center is a leading research center, the facility needed sophisticated
displays to exhibit their research during conferences with other healthcare
professionals.
The Jay Monahan Center did not want to overwhelm their patients in the waiting
room, however. They needed a display that could attract attention with vivid, larger-
than-life images, yet blend in and complement the waiting room’s decor.
Katie Couric Video Wall
at the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health

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All specifications subject to change without notice.
NEC Solutions (America), Inc.
Visual Systems Division
1250 Arlington Heights Rd., Suite 400
Itasca, IL 60143-1248
“NEC plasmas display
suchrich,clearimages
on a very large scale,
people can’t help but
stop and watch what’s
on the screen...”
the solution
After researching various visual display technologies, the Jay Monahan Center decided
that plasma display technology could meet all of their needs. Because of their high
contrast and brightness, plasmas display video images with superior depth and
definition. Many plasmas also have built-in phosphor protection to guard against
image retention and maximize the life of the display.
The Jay Monahan Center chose two NEC 84-inch plasma bundles and a 61-inch
plasma for their lobby. The plasma bundles combine four 42-inch plasmas to create
a huge display area – each bundle provides 3000 square inches of viewing power
and a viewing angle of up to 160 degrees.
“NEC plasmas display such rich, clear images on a very large scale, people can’t help
but stop and watch what’s on the screen,” said Jeff Szmulewicz, Director of
Biomedical Communication at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. “The stories and
images of patients remind onlookers that nothing’s more important than their health
and inspire them to get a screening themselves.”
The Jay Monahan Center also chose a 50-inch plasma for the conference room, where
important findings in gastrointestinal health care are presented. The superior contrast,
depth, and picture quality of NEC plasmas create the highly-detailed images needed for
important visual presentations.
the benefits
With NEC large screen plasma displays, the Jay Monahan Center takes its message
to the streets by attracting onlookers’ attention and facilitating awareness about
gastrointestinal health. The plasmas’ flexible applications mean the Center can
customize their presentations with one gigantic image over the entire video wall or
separate images on each screen. In addition, the plasmas’ broad source capability
lets the Jay Monahan Center broadcast a variety of media – from web sites to
“TODAY Show” segments without the need for an external source switcher.
The video wall also helps relieve the anxiety of patients at the Jay Monahan Center.
Although diagnosis of a serious medical condition is traumatic for a patient and their
family, the NEC plasmas transform the waiting room into an education center where
patients can learn more about their illness and start on the road to recovery. And
with NEC plasmas’ saturated, realistic colors and enhanced contrast, the plasmas
never produce garish or distorted images, which would clash with the waiting room’s
relaxing décor.
With the advanced technology of NEC, the Jay Monahan Center found a partner in
its mission to educate the public on the importance of early detection and, hopefully,
save lives.
NEC 090405