User station for healthcare communication system

1. A healthcare communication system comprising

a primary console having a first housing, a first touchscreen display coupled to the first housing, and a telephone handset adjacent the touchscreen display, and

a plurality of secondary consoles, each secondary console being located in a respective patient room of a plurality of patient rooms, each secondary console having a respective second housing and a respective second touchscreen display coupled to the second housing, each of the secondary consoles being communicatively coupled to the primary console, wherein each secondary console of the plurality of secondary consoles includes electrical circuitry in the respective second housing, the electrical circuitry being configured to receive calls from the primary console and each of the other secondary consoles of the plurality of secondary consoles and to display information relating to the received calls on the respective second touchscreen display, wherein the electrical circuitry is configured to enable a user to place calls to other users and to select a preferred mode of calling other users, the preferred mode selected from a plurality of calling modes comprising at least one of the following: voice routing to a located position, wireless telephone, or text paging to a wireless device.

2. The healthcare communication system of claim 1 , wherein the primary console serves as a nurse call computer at a master nurse station.

3. The healthcare communication system of claim 1 , wherein the primary console includes a desk mount and a pivot coupler that pivotably couples the first housing to the desk mount.

4. The healthcare communication system of claim 3 , wherein the telephone handset pivots relative to the desk mount along with the first housing as the first housing is pivoted relative desk mount.

5. The healthcare communication system of claim 3 , further comprising a back plate that is coupled to the pivot coupler for pivoting movement and the first housing being coupled to the back plate.

6. The healthcare communication system of claim 5 , further comprising a handset cradle coupled to the back plate to pivot therewith, the handset cradle being configured to support the telephone handset.

7. The healthcare communication system of claim 3 , wherein the pivot coupler comprises a friction hinge.

8. The healthcare communication system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one Power over Ethernet (POE) switch and wherein the plurality of secondary consoles are communicatively coupled to the primary console via the at least one POE switch.

9. The healthcare communication system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of dome light assemblies that each have circuitry and wherein the plurality of secondary consoles are communicatively coupled to the primary console via the circuitry of the plurality of dome light assemblies.

10. The healthcare communication system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second touchscreen displays each comprising one or more of the following:

a high resolution touch display, a Super Video Graphics Array (SVGA) display, and at least one touch actuator.

11. The healthcare communication system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical circuitry is configured to display first and second windows on the respective second touchscreen display, to display the information relating to the received calls in the first window, and to display at least one of staff information and patient information in the second window.

12. The healthcare communication system of claim 1 , wherein the second touchscreen display of each of the plurality of secondary consoles is configured to display visual cues relating to at least one of the received calls.

13. The healthcare communication system of claim 12 , wherein the second touchscreen display of each of the plurality of secondary consoles is configured to display a first visual cue relating to a first received call in a first color and display a second visual cue relating to a second received call in a second color.

14. The healthcare communication system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the visual cues comprises a graphical icon.

15. The healthcare communication system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one staff console located outside the plurality of patient rooms, the at least one staff console being communicatively coupled to the primary console.

16. The healthcare communication system of claim 15 , further comprising at least one Power over Ethernet (POE) switch and wherein the at least one staff console is communicatively coupled to the primary console via the at least one POE switch.