Fiber optics have brought a new level of health information
exchange to providers in the upper Midwest. A 3,200-mile long fiber optic
network provides the communication backbone to HealthNet connect, LC (HNc), a
hard-wired health information exchange (HIE) network that spans the state of
Iowa.
Fiber optic technology, with its ability to transport data
at the speed of light, holds great promise for communication technology,
according to Rodney Brown, executive director of HNc. The company’s investments
in fiber optics “are being put to work to produce better outcomes through
coordinating patient care and managing population health,” Brown says.
Iowa Health System (IHS) acquired this fiber optic network
in 2005, and has since leased additional fiber optics that allows their HIE
network to connect to Denver, CO and Chicago, IL. Along with these
acquisitions, IHS has received a grant to fund a pilot program that will
connect broadband services to rural hospitals and clinics.
Providers participating in the HIE have the benefit of a
reliable and secure high speed connection, allowing them to participate in HIE
and telehealth programs. “From a practical standpoint, these technologies may
exist, but it’s the network that makes or breaks these services,” Brown says.
Additional benefits to rural participants include connecting
patients with specialists they would otherwise have to travel great distances
to visit, allowing them to leverage such technologies as health record exchange
and videoconferencing.
HNc has plans to include new members to their network in
Colorado, Nebraska, and Illinois, expanding to include other specialties such
as home healthcare providers.
Rodney Brown
Mr. Brown brings extensive experience building companies and leading sales, operations and service organizations in technology and healthcare. He is the Executive Director of HealthNet connect and CEO of HNcBNc.
The views and opinions on this blog are my own.
Rodney Brown
Mr. Brown brings extensive experience building companies and leading sales, operations and service organizations in technology and healthcare. He is the Executive Director of HealthNet connect and CEO of HNcBNc.
The views and opinions on this blog are my own.
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