Across the country, hospitals are facing a pivotal moment. With digital transformation accelerating, more than 70% of U.S. health system leaders report that investments in digital platforms are a top priority for 2025 (Deloitte). As patient expectations rise and operating margins tighten, healthcare organizations are taking a hard look at the systems that support communication, education, and the bedside experience, particularly their AV and IPTV infrastructure, including the technology behind today’s modern hospital TV systems.
For many hospitals, the question is no longer if they should upgrade their AV network, but how soon they can do it. Here’s why upgrading before or during 2026 is a financially smart move.
Outdated AV Systems Cost More Than You Think
Legacy AV architecture, including aging racks, coax headends, unmanaged switches, and patchwork cabling, creates an expensive cycle of maintenance and downtime. These older systems weren’t designed for the demands of today’s patient rooms or the interoperability required across modern clinical environments.
Hospitals often experience:
- Frequent equipment failures
- Elevated IT support burdens
- Room-to-room inconsistency
- Limited ability to deploy new applications
Over time, these issues add up to significant financial waste. Upgrading to an organized, IP-based AV infrastructure, including modernized hospital AV systems, replaces unpredictable spending with predictable, long-term value.
Reduce Recurring Cable Costs and Simplify Delivery
For many facilities, room-by-room cable boxes and legacy TV service contracts represent major recurring expenses. By modernizing the AV backbone and shifting to IPTV, hospitals can:
- Eliminate outdated cable hardware
- Consolidate monthly service fees
- Deliver content centrally through a secure network
- Add digital channels, educational content, and live streams more easily
Today’s healthcare IPTV platforms offer a more efficient, scalable way to manage in-room entertainment and patient education without relying on legacy infrastructure.
A Modern AV Network Opens the Door to Revenue-Building Services
Hospitals upgrading their AV and IP networks are building the foundation for the next generation of patient care. A modernized backbone supports services that enhance experience, streamline workflows, and improve reimbursement metrics.
These include:
- Digital care boards
- In-room patient education platforms
- Telehealth and virtual rounding
- Interactive entertainment
- Real-time communication tools
A strong digital foundation also powers the latest healthcare television systems, helping hospitals deliver clearer communication, better education, and a more satisfying patient experience. These improvements contribute to higher patient satisfaction.
Strengthened Security and Reduced Risk
Outdated AV equipment often sits outside modern IT governance. Unsupported firmware, unsegmented networks, unencrypted traffic, and unmanaged devices introduce security vulnerabilities hospitals can no longer afford.
A modernized AV network provides:
- Proper VLAN segmentation
- Encryption aligned with IT standards
- Centralized device monitoring
- Support for secure, compliant IPTV delivery
These improvements reduce the risk of outages, compliance issues, and emergency remediation, which are all key factors in controlling downtime and protecting patient care.
Lower Operating Costs Through Centralization and Scalability
A unified AV and IPTV infrastructure offers long-term efficiencies that aging systems cannot match. Hospitals gain:
- Centralized management of displays and content
- Faster provisioning during renovations or expansions
- Reduced staff time troubleshooting equipment issues
- A scalable architecture that adapts as technology evolves
Instead of repeatedly investing in short-term fixes, hospitals invest once in a future-ready backbone that supports the next decade of clinical and operational growth.
Enhancing the Patient Experience and Strengthening Reimbursement
In 2025 and heading into 2026, the patient experience is more than a hospitality metric. It has direct financial implications. Patients expect modern, intuitive in-room technology.
With upgraded AV and IPTV systems, hospitals can deliver:
- High-quality entertainment
- Clearer communication tools
- Digital care information
- Self-service options that reduce call-light volume
These improvements support better patient satisfaction scores and stronger reimbursement outcomes, supported by reliable healthcare-grade TV systems.
Now is the Right Time to Modernize
As hospitals prioritize digital transformation, upgrading AV infrastructure is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to strengthen both patient experience and operational efficiency. Modernizing now helps hospitals:
- Lower long-term operating costs
- Reduce reliance on outdated cable infrastructure
- Improve IT security and system reliability
- Prepare for future clinical integrations
- Enhance patient satisfaction and reimbursement outcomes
A smarter AV foundation is not just a technology upgrade. It is a strategic financial investment that positions hospitals for growth in 2026 and beyond.
Partner With MDM Commercial for a Stronger, Future-Ready AV System
MDM Commercial delivers turnkey AV and IPTV infrastructure upgrades for hospitals nationwide. From structured cabling and organized racks to IPTV design and healthcare-grade television systems, our team is trusted by health systems across the country.
We build clean, organized, future-ready IP backbones designed to support today’s demands and tomorrow’s innovations, all backed by industry-leading expertise in healthcare environments.
If your hospital is preparing for digital upgrades in 2026, now is the time to modernize your AV infrastructure with a partner who understands healthcare, operations, and long-term scalability.