Based in Richmond, Virginia and housed within Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is dedicated to working toward a future without cancer. Massey was founded in 1974 and conducts cancer research across multiple domains including basic science (laboratory), translational, clinical and population sciences research. Notably, the cancer center excels in translating research discoveries into advancements in cancer treatment and prevention, while also addressing disparities in cancer care to ensure equal access to quality screenings and treatments. Its vision is to be a premier community-focused cancer center—leading the nation in cancer health equity research and ensuring optimal health outcomes for all.
At Massey’s MCV (Medical College of Virginia) campus in downtown Richmond, audio visual systems in three conference rooms were outdated and in need of upgrades. After securing grant funding, Massey engaged Midlothian, Virginia[1]based Code3AV to consult on a solution. Based on the unique criteria and intended uses of display technology in these spaces, Code3AV recommended fine pitch LED video walls from Planar.
The integrations include:
- A nearly 10-foot-wide, 5.5-foot-high Planar® MGP Complete™ 136-inch LED video wall with a 1.5mm pixel pitch (MGP1.5) in the Thalhimer conference room located in the Goodwin Research Building.
- Two nearly 8-foot-wide, 4.5-foot-high Planar® MGP Complete™ 108-inch LED video walls with a 1.2 mm pixel pitch (MGP1.2 ) in two conference rooms located in the McGlothlin Medical Education Center (MMEC).
True Representation
Better patient outcomes with cancer treatment can be achieved when cohesive teams of medical experts work collaboratively together. At VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, oncologists, pathologists, surgeons, nurses, counselors and other practitioners regularly engage in this multidisciplinary approach to identify the best treatment plan, customized for each patient.
Massey convenes these meetings—known as Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards—in the MMEC conference rooms where the Planar MGP Series LED video walls play an integral part by providing high clarity visualizations of CT scans, X-rays, MRIs and other kinds of imaging crucial for detecting and analyzing cancer cells.
“Massey is a leader in Virginia and across the U.S. for advancing interdisciplinary care,” said William McCormick, director of IT Services at Massey. “Teams of doctors, nurses and specialists congregate in these conference rooms to deliberate on each patient’s case and the best treatment plan. When viewing medical images, it’s extremely important that what they are viewing is precise. There can’t be any kind of distortion when examining cancer cells.”
This requirement was a driving factor for selecting the Planar MGP Series LED video walls. “The Planar solutions provide a true representation of medical imagery without any compression or artifacting,” said Code3AV Sales Engineer Mike Neal. “Laptop images, at their 1080 native resolution, are displayed on the video walls with an exact pixel to pixel match. If they blow up the images, the correct pixel size stays intact. That was a very critical path with this project.”
The conference rooms are also used by various Massey programs and departments for cancer-related meetings and are equipped with cameras, microphones and automated camera tracking for video conferencing capabilities. “The video walls are extremely bright and very detailed,” McCormick said. “People can easily view the displays from anywhere in the rooms. It’s exactly what we needed—the perfect fit for what we are trying to accomplish.”
Flagship Conference Room Revamp
Adjacent to the office of the director at Massey is the Thalhimer conference room—the organization’s premier venue for high-level
meetings and presentations. Much like the Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards held in the MMEC conference rooms, Thalhimer also serves as a gathering space for assemblies focused on developmental therapeutics. According to McCormick, the new Planar MGP Complete 136-inch LED video wall provides a key enhancement for these activities.
“Thalhimer is where we host senators, dignitaries, diplomats, as well as organizations like the National Cancer Institute and the American Association for Cancer Research,” McCormick said. “The impression we make in these meetings is extremely important, and the video wall plays a crucial role in this regard—it’s truly impressive.”
It’s also simple to use. “The people that rely on this video wall are brilliant but they are not techies,” McCormick explained. “When they give a presentation, they need to focus on their topic, not the technology that enables it. They want it to just work, and this solution does just that.”
Code3AV CEO Peter Norman emphasized the two main goals of the overall audio visual upgrade: deliver a solution that is both user-friendly and true to form with optics. “Our approach has always been to view solutions from the client’s perspective and to provide them with the right technology for the best user experience possible,” Norman said. “We believe we definitely met these expectations here.”
