The centers located mostly in rural communities are benefiting from the Federal Communication Commission Rural Health Care Pilot Program administered in West Virginia by the West Virginia Telehealth Alliance.
The program expands telehealth and telemedicine capabilities of eligible health centers and to enhance capacities for future electronic health information exchange.
Participation by the health care organizations was optional with service to be provided through Verizon, Frontier, nTelos/Fibernet and Comcast while those with Comcast can receive a subsidy of 85 percent through the pilot program for up to 24 months, possibly longer, said Larry Malone, chairman of the alliance.
"The West Virginia Telehealth Alliance is pleased to be a part in helping to upgrade the telehealth capabilities and broadband connections of these health care institutions," Malone said. "This public-private collaboration is key to making this a reality, and we believe these leading edge broadband connections will spur increased telehealth interactions and bring improvements in health care to rural areas of our state."
The alliance is among 69 participating programs from across the U.S. and will spend up to $8.4 million in federal funds for several broadband enhancement projects. In addition, state funding has been provided by the West Virginia Health Care Authority to cover a 15 percent match.
Broadband service enhancements began in January, but were not announced until Thursday by Sen. Jay Rockefeller. Completion is expected by summer.
"This technology is the future of our health care system," said Rockefeller.
"Right now, if someone in Pocahontas County faces a medical emergency such as a heart attack, it could be very difficult to get them to a facility that has a cardiologist as there aren't any nearby," he said.
"The high-tech programs in Huntington and southern West Virginia are paving the way and soon rural health clinics throughout the state will be able to connect immediately to larger hospitals to help their patients quicker and more effectively."
The Metro Fiber Build Project in Huntington at Marshall University, the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, St. Mary's Medical Center and Cabell-Huntington Hospital was the first finished project in West Virginia under the pilot program.
The alliance also received $200,000 from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation for a telehealth outreach and education project to encourage and educate users and potential users of telehealth applications throughout West Virginia.
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Quelle/Source: Parkersburg News and Sentinel, 27.03.2011
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