The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on November 19, 2007 a $4.8 million grant award for a Pacific Broadband Telehealth Demonstration Project. “The Pacific Broadband Telehealth Demonstration Project will significantly upgrade the State Telehealth Access Network (STAN) capabilities that allows health care providers to interconnect for telehealth and telemedicine applications, expand the interconnection of health care providers and facilities in Hawaii and several locations in the Pacific Island region, and establish a core infrastructure for electronic health record access and data exchange,” said Susan Jackson, the Deputy Director of the Department of Health, who directed the DOH effort in developing the proposal.
The FCC Funded Project will expand the State Telehealth Access Network and Department of Health networks by cross-connecting and increasing the capacity of the networks of many other partners, including the University of Hawaii, the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, the Hawaii Pacific Health, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and many other health care providers. The expanded network will serve as a core network to support telehealth, telemedicine, and electronic health record (EHR) capabilities, and will be managed by Dr. Norman Okamura and Christina Higa, co-Principal Investigators from the Social Science Research Institute at the University of Hawaii.
Scott Daniels from the State Office of Rural Health said that “I am very pleased with the award because the FCC Demonstration Project will enable the DOH and health care providers in the State of Hawaii to better meet the pressing needs for health care services in our rural communities. Telehealth, telemedicine, and shared and interoperable electronic health records are critical to helping to meet these needs.” Dr. Daniels further said that “The grant will interconnect health care providers in urban Honolulu with providers in the rural communities.” He added that “I am also especially pleased that we are able to establish a project that will be capable of being sustained by the State of Hawaii, the University of Hawaii, and the Universal Service Fund of the FCC.”
Christina Higa said that “The FCC showed great forethought in helping to develop the National Health Information Network.” The FCC Demonstration Project will also include a direct connection to American Samoa and Guam as well. "Pacific Island health care providers could not directly connect to the State Telehealth Access Network because such connections crossed 'State' boundaries. The FCC Broadband Telehealth Pilot Project actually encourages such 'regional' connections, and this helps the U.S. territories in the Pacific."
When informed of the award, Ray Tulafono, the Chief Information Officer for the American Samoa Medical Center, said “This is great! I am very happy that the FCC has finally been able to meet the needs of health care providers in American Samoa. Our hospital that serves a community of 60,000 people is similar to islands in Hawaii. We are pleased and appreciate the opportunity to join the network and already have plans to use the network for continuing medical and nursing education and training, fetal ultrasound consultations with the Hawaii Pacific Health system, and consultations with Shriners Hospital.” He added that “Our CEO is also working to provide social services to Samoans in Hawaii and obtain mental health services from providers in Hawaii. This would not be possible without a broadband connection which we sorely need. We even anticipate the updating of our VistA medical records information system to be done remotely.”
Jana Lindsey, the Telehealth Coordinator for Shriners Hospital for Children – Honolulu, said that “The announcement from the FCC is welcome and exciting news. Shriners will be able to offer improved telehealth consultations for children throughout Hawaii and the Pacific region.”
“The FCC Grant,” added Christina Higa, the co-Principal Investigator for the project from the University of Hawaii, “will not only upgrade the network, but will interconnect the networks of the DOH with the other health care providers and the University of Hawaii, but include more sites and introduce new capabilities such as High Definition video teleconferencing. The HD video teleconferencing is important because it will improve the quality of continuing medical and nursing education and enable remote education and training programs in electronic health records and healthcare informatics. These new capabilities will solve the problem of converting computer images into analog television video by displaying a much higher quality image.”
The proposal to the FCC was submitted by the University of Hawaii on behalf of the consortium of partners, including, the State Department of Health, the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, the Hawaii Pacific Health, the American Samoa Medical Center, and many other health care providers.
Contact for more information:
Norman H. Okamura, Ph.D. (808) 956-2909
For a full copy of the proposal submitted to the FCC:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6519409808
Associated Files (in pdf version):
[2007 - FCC Awards List] The FCC is awards the Pacific Broadband Telehealth Demonstration Project $4.8 million grant.
[Advertiser News Article] Honolulu Advertiser article, posted on Sunday, November 25, 2007 - Telemedicine project will link Hawaii, other Pacific
