Healthcare consortium uses Fiber Internet Access to expand access to underserved rural communities

“We plan to continue partnering with Spectrum Enterprise so we can continue delivering on our mission to improve healthcare outcomes in rural area through connectivity.” — Consortium Project Manager

Just about every aspect of providing care these days, from accessing medical records to monitoring patients and delivering telehealth services, is heavily dependent on digital systems and applications — all of which require reliable connectivity. But in many areas such as rural Appalachia, connectivity can be hard to come by, making it difficult for healthcare providers to give their patients the level of care they need.

That’s why healthcare providers in the westernmost reaches of Appalachia came together in 2006 to form a non-profit consortium. Their goal was to improve care in rural areas by expanding access to high-speed connectivity at healthcare facilities throughout their region. To be successful, however, they needed dependable technology partners that could deliver highly reliable, scalable connectivity services to their members.

The Consortium turned to Spectrum Enterprise for Fiber Internet Access (FIA) service.

With FIA, healthcare providers can provide more community members in rural, underserved communities, with higher quality care via telemedicine and other remote services. In addition to significantly improving patients’ treatment options, patients who previously had to be transported via ambulance can receive life-saving consultations and treatment recommendations immediately, at rural healthcare providers’ locations.

Consortium patients in rural communities now have access to the same level of specialized care that patients receive in urban locations. True to its mission, the Consortium keeps its eye on future growth. “When we talk about growth, we talk about providing the most support to healthcare providers that we can,” the Consortium project manager explains. “We plan to continue partnering with Spectrum Enterprise so we can achieve that growth.”