[TAO] Fwd: FCC PROGRAM TO EXPAND INVESTMENT IN BROADBAND HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGY

[Catherine Britain]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Anderson, Carla <carla at e-copernicus.com>
Date: Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 12:05 PM
Subject: FCC PROGRAM TO EXPAND INVESTMENT IN BROADBAND HEALTH CARE
TECHNOLOGY
To: csbritain at gmail.com


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*FCC PROGRAM TO EXPAND INVESTMENT IN BROADBAND HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGY*

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*Affordable Broadband Would Improve Care in Medically Underserved
Communities,*

*Cut Health Costs*

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*
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2010/db0715/DOC-299792A1.pdf
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Washington, D.C. -- The Federal Communications Commission today introduced a
new health care connectivity program that would expand investment in
broadband for medically underserved communities across the country. The
program would give patients in rural areas access to state-of-the-art
diagnostic tools typically available only in the largest and most
sophisticated medical centers.



The program’s investment in broadband connectivity would not only improve
medical care, but also help reduce health-care costs. It would spur private
investment in networks as well as health-related applications, and would
help create jobs that range from building infrastructure to developing and
implementing health IT solutions. This program has the potential to do for
rural health care providers and patients what the enormously successful
E-Rate program has done for schools and students. Currently, too many
clinics and hospitals lack affordable access to even basic broadband
connectivity to handle the most basic of telehealth tasks, like managing
medical records, transmitting a an x-ray or MRI, or consulting remotely with
a doctor. In fact, nearly 30 percent of federally funded rural health care
clinics can’t afford secure and reliable broadband services.



Shockingly, only eight percent of Indian Health Service providers even have
access to the broadband they would need to deliver advanced health care to
their patients.



This program would invest up to $400 million annually to enable doctors,
nurses, hospitals and clinics to deliver, through communications technology,
world-class health care to patients, no matter where they live. It is one of
four programs in the Universal Service Fund administered by the FCC. Without
increasing the projected size of the overall fund, the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking adopted today would bring affordable broadband connectivity to
more than 2,000 rural hospitals and clinics. It builds on the lessons
learned in the successful Rural Health Care Pilot Program -- launched in
2007 and set to expire next year -- and is consistent with the
recommendations in the FCC’s National Broadband Plan.



Proposals include:



· *Partner with public and nonprofit health care providers to invest
millions in new regional and statewide broadband networks in parts of the
country where it is unavailable or insufficient. *The new program would help
build cost-effective broadband networks -- connecting doctors, hospitals and
clinics -- designed to meet

today’s health care needs.



· *Making broadband connectivity more affordable by sharing half of the
monthly recurring network costs with hospitals, clinics and other health
care providers*. This enhanced support for broadband connectivity will
benefit patients served by thousands of public and non-profit rural health
care providers.



· *Delivering connectivity where it is needed most today*, including at
skilled nursing facilities and renal dialysis centers, along with off-site
administrative offices and data centers that perform support functions
critical to health care networks.



Action by the Commission, June 15, 2010, by Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(FCC 10-125). Chairman Genachowski, Commissioners Copps, McDowell, Clyburn,
and Baker. Chairman Genachowski, Commissioners Copps, McDowell, Clyburn and
Baker issuing separate statements.







-- 
Catherine S. Britain
csbritain at gmail.com
541-910-7366
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