How They Connect: AgeWell Center in Bismarck

When the AgeWell Center in Bismarck needed to modernize its communications and security infrastructure, the organization didn’t want to stitch together solutions from multiple vendors or inherit the headaches that come with managing them. What it found in BEK was something better: a single, reliable partner that could handle phones, security cameras, secure access, and a paging system, all under one roof.

A Phone System That Works for Them — Not the Other Way Around

The AgeWell Center, which has served Bismarck’s 60+ population since 1974, made the switch to BEK Connect business phones a few years ago. For an organization focused on people, the appeal was immediate. “If we had purchased from someone else, we would have had to manage and troubleshoot all issues ourselves,” said Darla Roggenbuck, AgeWell Finance Director. “With BEK Connect, we don’t have to babysit the system."

The Center chose BEK Connect’s managed equipment solution, rather than purchasing outright. That means when something needs attention, whether it’s a failing headset, a system update, or the need for a new phone, BEK takes care of it. The equipment stays current, is fully supported, and is replaced or upgraded as needed, without the Center having to manage the technology itself.

Even though the Center is located outside the BEK Fiber territory, it has been able to take full advantage of the BEK Connect platform using its existing internet connection, not a traditional phone line. Office moves are simple. When a staff member relocates to a different office, they take their phones with them. Their extension and settings move too, eliminating the need for rewiring, reprogramming, or IT support calls.

Roggenbuck also says the system delivers features the Center couldn’t find elsewhere, including voicemails delivered directly to email inboxes, an Auto Attendant that routes callers to the right person or department, and AI-generated voice messaging that gives staff exactly the recorded greeting they want.

And when questions come up? The support line makes it easy. “The support line alone has been worth the investment,” Roggenbuck said. “You just pick up the phone or send an email, and they take care of it for you. Plus, they’re just a few minutes away, so they stop in and check in too.”

Expanded Security for A Busy Facility

About a year ago, the Center took its BEK relationship further with the addition of BEK Watch security cameras, BEK Secure Access, and BEK Audio Solutions. The need was clear: The Center’s previous camera system ran on analog cable with a hard drive that eventually failed, and even when it was working, it came with significant limitations on the number of cameras and server capacity. Moving to BEK meant moving to a single server that could manage cameras, access control, and the paging system together, with room to grow.

“We pay for one server that can manage multiple pieces of equipment, and we can keep adding on as we need,” Roggenbuck explained.

And she says that scalability matters. The Center’s governing council had called for expanded camera coverage throughout the facility, but that simply wasn’t possible with the old system. Whether it’s monitoring common areas, detecting a fall or medical event, or keeping an eye on parking lot incidents, Roggenbuck says the camera network gives staff eyes throughout the building, when they can’t be physically present everywhere.

For the Center, BEK Secure Access also addresses a different, but equally important, challenge: managing building access. Before implementing the system, after-hours entry often required staff to coordinate with someone who had a key, and administrators were responsible for tracking physical keys and knowing who had access to the facility. If a key was lost, copied, or not returned, there was little visibility or control without replacing locks and issuing new keys. Today, staff securely accesses the building using assigned credentials. Administrators can easily grant, modify, or revoke access as job responsibilities change, ensuring the right people have access to the right areas at the right times. The system also provides a record of entry activity, giving management greater visibility and confidence in building security.

The paging system rounds out the package, serving a variety of needs… like lunch announcements, parking reminders, background music… but also filling a critical safety role. Pre-recorded announcements are activated in the event of a fire or tornado, and staff can make live announcements during a medical emergency or initiate a shelter-in-place if ever needed.

One System. One Call. Same-Day Service.

What ties it all together, for the AgeWell Center, isn’t just the technology. It’s the relationship. “The best part is having a system that we don’t have to babysit and that’s reliable,” Roggenbuck said. “If we have any trouble, we reach out to BEK and they have it fixed right away. We’re not put in a queue system. We get a person, and they come out and fix what needs to be fixed or get us what we need that same day."

For an organization whose mission is the wellbeing of every person who walks through its doors, Roggenbuck says that kind of responsiveness is more than a convenience. It’s peace of mind.

“We want everyone who comes to our Center to know they’re going to be safe here at all times,” she says.

With BEK, they can count on it.