[1st-mile-nm] Presbyterian Healthcare: NM Broadband Network

[Dale Alverson]

This one of the of sub-projects under our $15.5 FCC Rural Health Pare Pilot Project, the Southwest telehealth Access Grid and represents one of the funding commitment letters just recently received that now allows us to start drawing down the funds to build out a broad-band network of networks across New Mexico and in Indian Country. We are anticipating several other funding commitment letters on behalf of our other stakeholders; Primary care Association, Albuquerque Are IHS, Navajo, San Juan regional Medical center, UNMH and HSC. This program covers 85% of the costs for build-ou and operations from funds provided by FCC.--Dale
 
Dale C. Alverson, MD
Professor of Pediatrics and Regents' Professor
Professor, Health Sciences Center Library and Informatics Center
Medical Director, Center for Telehealth and Cybermedicine Research
University of New Mexico
Health Sciences Center
1005 Columbia, NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
Office: (505) 272-8633
Fax: (505) 272-0800
e-mail: dalverson at salud.unm.edu
Web: http://hsc.unm.edu/som/telehealth
 


>>> Richard Lowenberg <lowenberg at designnine.com> 7/29/2011 12:27 PM >>>
New Mexico Healthcare Network to Receive High-Speed Broadband Connections from Conterra

Posted July 29, 2011
Bridging America's Healthcare Digital Divide
CHARLOTTE, N.C. and ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., July 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Conterra Ultra Broadband, LLC ("Conterra"), a national broadband services company specializing in bringing unique bandwidth solutions to complex telecommunications projects in rural areas, has been awarded a multi-year contract to provide fiber-quality, high-speed wide area network services to Presbyterian Healthcare Services of Albuquerque, NM.
The broadband network design uses multiple transport media including fiber optic and FCC-licensed microwave radio connections which will augment and enhance Presbyterian's current wide area telecom network throughout hundreds of miles of rural New Mexico. The telecommunication transport services provided by Conterra are supported financially through the Rural Health Care Pilot Program initiated by the federal government to facilitate the creation of a national broadband network dedicated to health care, connecting public and private health care providers in rural and urban locations.
Presbyterian Healthcare Services is New Mexico's only private, not-for-profit healthcare system and its largest provider of care. Presbyterian was founded in New Mexico in 1908, and offers eight hospitals in seven communities, a statewide health plan and a growing multi-specialty medical group. Presbyterian is the second largest private employer in New Mexico with more than 9,000 respected employees and growing.
The five hospitals and three clinics involved in the project will be connected to the Presbyterian Data Center in Albuquerque via a high-speed, wide area network provided and maintained by Conterra. The network will transport electronic medical records, electronic imaging as well as provide high-speed transport for new telemedicine opportunities.
Conterra's managed broadband network will provide an alternate high-speed IP-based Ethernet network for Presbyterian Healthcare Services, for the physical redundancy of network hardware and services. Conterra monitors, manages and supports its networks on a 24x7x365 basis and guarantees industry leading network performance and reliability.
"Conterra is proud to be able to participate in the Rural Health Care Pilot Program and to provide high-quality broadband services for Presbyterian Healthcare Services", commented Van E. Snowdon, Conterra's Executive Vice President of Business Development. "The Federal Communications Commission has highlighted telemedicine as one of the top priorities in its national broadband plan. We believe that Conterra's unique ability to provide customized hybrid optical fiber and FCC licensed radio networks in rural and underserved areas of America, where there are few, if any, existing high-speed broadband telecommunication solutions, will lead to other healthcare network opportunities," added Mr. Snowdon.
Construction of this new network is expected to begin this summer, with service initiation expected in late 2011.
About Conterra Ultra Broadband, LLC
Conterra Ultra Broadband, LLC, headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is a national provider of facilities-based broadband services for health care, schools, wireless carriers, municipalities and select enterprises that require bandwidth intensive, carrier-grade data, video and voice transport services primarily in outer suburban and rural markets. Conterra and its subsidiaries currently provide these services to over 1,400 entities in 20 states. For more information about Conterra, visit www.conterra.com or call: 800-936-1803.
SOURCE Conterra Ultra Broadband LLC

Read more: New Mexico Healthcare Network to Receive High-Speed Broadband Connections from Conterra - FierceTelecom ( http://www.fiercetelecom.com/press_releases/new-mexico-healthcare-network-receive-high-speed-broadband-connections-cont#ixzz1TWIYSXUM ) http://www.fiercetelecom.com/press_releases/new-mexico-healthcare-network-receive-high-speed-broadband-connections-cont#ixzz1TWIYSXUM 


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Richard Lowenberg
P. O. Box 8001,  Santa Fe, NM  87504
505-989-9110 off.; 505-603-5200 cell
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