Vocera Communications, Inc. announced Toronto General Hospital (part of the University Health Network) deployed the wearable Vocera Smartbadge across three of its intensive care units (medical-surgical, cardiovascular and coronary) to help improve staff response times during surges of COVID-19 patients. The voice-controlled Smartbadge enables clinicians to communicate and collaborate quickly and efficiently even while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). A nurse, doctor, or other care team member wearing a Smartbadge can initiate communication by saying, “OK, Vocera” followed by simple voice commands, like “call anesthesiology” or “call the emergency response team.” Clinicians can connect with the right person or group quickly and safely, saving critical time and resources. By simply saying a name, role or team, healthcare workers can collaborate completely hands-free, even in isolation, while scrubbed in, or wearing surgical gloves. Purpose built for healthcare, the Vocera Smartbadge combines hands-free capability with smartphone functionality. The device’s 2.4” touchscreen enables clinicians to receive prioritized clinical events, read notifications with patient context, and send secure text messages, to accelerate care and improve patient safety. Additionally, the Smartbadge has a dedicated, one-touch panic button so healthcare staff can get help quickly in emergency situations.