The Rural Nebraska Healthcare Network (RNHN), a consortium of nine rural hospitals and related clinics in western Nebraska, launched construction of an $18M fiber optic medical network that aims at improving care throughout the Nebraska panhandle.
The proposed 750-mile fiber network spans 12 counties in western Nebraska, and will connect to national research networks such as National Lambda Rail and Internet 2 in Denver.
Officials held a ground breaking ceremony for the network at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, Neb., one of the members of the non-profit consortium.
Other RNHN members are:
- Box Butte General Hospital, Alliance
- Chadron Community Hospital, Chadron Garden County Health Services, Oshkosh;
- Gordon Memorial Hospital, Gordon;
- Kimball Health Services, Kimball;
- Memorial Health Center, Sidney;
- Morrill County Community Hospital, Bridgeport;
- Perkins County Health Services, Grant
The project is made possible with the support of Regional West Foundation and in cooperation with Fiberutilties Group, an Iowa based consulting and technology firm, Louisville, Colo.-based Zayo Group, a provider of bandwidth infrastructure services, and Omaha, Neb.-based Adesta LLC, a of solutions for advanced communication networks and security systems.
Using federal funding under the Rural Healthcare Pilot Program of the Federal Communications Commission, in conjunction with funding provided by Zayo Group, the RNHN will connect the primary care hospitals and dozens of affiliated clinics creating one of the most advanced and robust medical technology networks in Nebraska.
"This fiber network will facilitate the deployment of advanced medical technologies, and vastly improve patient care and physician communication," said Lisa Bewley, chief information officer for Regional West Medical Center.
Zayo Groups role in the construction of the network will enable additional commercial telecommunications products to be offered in under-served rural Nebraska, said officials.
"Zayo is pleased to be a part of constructing the network that will enable communities in Western Nebraska access to advanced medical care," said Glenn Russo, president, Zayo Networks. "We will also be significantly advancing the overall communication capabilities within these communities by offering high bandwidth services over this new fiber network to businesses, government agencies and communications companies throughout western Nebraska," he said.
"We are excited to be here today to celebrate and commemorate this amazing network that will undoubtedly revolutionize healthcare in the panhandle of Nebraska," said Bob Sommerfeld, president of Adesta at the ground breaking ceremony. "Adesta is going to hit the ground running, and we are looking forward to a timely completion. We are very honored to be a part of this."
Fiberutilities has handled the almost two years of planning, financing, operational and government coordination functions for the network."
"This network represents the power of people working together," said Kent Van Metre, vice president with Fiberutilities Group. "With tremendous support from the FCC, and by partnering with community-oriented organizations like Zayo and Adesta, the RNHN is poised to have a truly state-of-the-art, advanced healthcare network."
