This funding has helped health care institutions across 25 states improve internet connectivity, improve patient care, and reduce operational costs.
BANGOR – HealthConnect Networks has achieved a major milestone, securing more than $125 million in subsidies from the federal Healthcare Connect Fund program. This funding has allowed more than 2,450 health care sites in 25 states to develop vital broadband and telehealth infrastructure.
“This money has helped so many health care providers develop the state-of-the-art IT infrastructure they need to deliver high-quality health care for people living in rural areas.” said Jim Rogers, president of HealthConnect Networks. “We’re so proud of reaching this milestone because we know that equipping healthcare facilities with efficient and cost-effective network solutions ultimately enhances patient care, improves operations, and has made it possible for them to deliver life-saving care to millions of people across the country.”
The Healthcare Connect Fund was designed to help health care providers in rural, medically underserved areas access broadband services. The Fund provides a 65 percent discount on eligible broadband expenses, helping providers subsidize services and equipment, and in some cases construct their own broadband infrastructure.
HealthConnect Networks, which was founded in 2013, partners with health care providers to determine their eligibility for funding and help them manage the application process. Leveraging decades of industry experience and technical expertise, the team at HealthConnect Networks streamlines the process, ensuring providers get the support they need to enhance connectivity, improve patient care, and reduce operational costs.
Subsidies from the Healthcare Connect Fund have helped providers across the country develop the IT infrastructure they need to provide telehealth services and create more reliable and secure data networks for rural hospitals and clinics. It has also allowed providers in rural areas to access specialists in large institutions and share high-res images such as MRI scans. What’s more, it has reduced costs for the rural health care providers that would otherwise have had to build networks at their own, often prohibitive, expense.
Reliable and high-quality IT infrastructure has become essential in rural areas that are considered healthcare deserts, where there are a limited number of hospitals, emergency services, primary, dental, and mental health care providers to meet residents’ needs. Currently 80 percent of counties across the U.S. are considered healthcare deserts, according to Good Rx Research. In these areas, residents tend to delay or avoid routine medical care, which can increase the risks associated with treatable, preventable chronic conditions, and increase mortality rates in emergencies. Patient mortality increases by 1% for every 10 kilometers a patient is from the nearest hospital, according to a study in Emergency Medicine Journal.
HealthConnect Networks works to advance health care nationwide, by improving telecommunications and reducing costs. The company designs fast, stable, and secure health care broadband networks for hospitals, health care systems, and medical clinics and helps them access federal subsidies from the Healthcare Connect Fund, which is administered by the Federal Communications Commission. HealthConnect Networks has worked with over 2,500 health care locations and 180 health care systems since its founding in 2013. From health care and business to education, access to broadband shapes the future of every citizen, and we are committed to bringing equitable access to all. To learn more, visit the HealthConnect Networks website.
