(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Mike Johanns today announced that Nebraska now has the ability to connect state health officials with more than 40 hospitals throughout Nebraska for interactive videoconferencing that can be used in responding to an emergency and to allow citizens across the state to access health specialists without having to leave their home towns.

“The ability to link every hospital to our medical universities and state health experts has far-reaching implications for improved emergency response and overall health care in our state,” Gov. Johanns said. “I commend the many partners involved in making this vision a reality. This project truly represents an unprecedented level of collaboration in a state known for teamwork. What we have achieved today is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what will be possible when the statewide telehealth network is complete.”

The Nebraska Statewide Telehealth Network will directly connect 80 Nebraska hospitals, 20 local public health departments, Nebraska’s state and regional public health labs, and key state agencies. The goal is to increase the quality, availability, and accessibility of healthcare throughout the state, particularly in rural areas of Nebraska, and to improve the readiness of the state to respond to terrorism-related or public health emergencies.

Lt. Gov. Dave Heineman, Nebraska’s Director of Homeland Security and Chair of the Nebraska Information Technology Commission (NITC), said, “The new capability we have today, and the broader network being developed, represent a milestone in terrorism preparedness and technological achievements for Nebraska. I especially want to commend the Public Service Commission for providing the funding to shift the project into high gear.”

The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) is committing $900,000 annually from the Universal Service Fund to support the network and reduce individual hospital costs. Funding from the federal Universal Services Administrative Company is expected to cover 80 percent of the estimated annual transmission costs, which will vary depending on usage. Each hospital will contribute $100 per month toward transmission costs.

Funding for equipment and infrastructure is provided through a number of sources. The Nebraska Health and Human Services System (HHSS) is providing $500,000 in grant funding for equipment and support, which includes federal Rural Utility Service grants. Additionally, HHSS provided a $70,000 grant to the Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) to begin coordinating resources. Funding is also provided by the federal Office for the Advancement of Telehealth and the Central and Northern Nebraska Area Health Education Centers. Private telecommunications companies across Nebraska are installing equipment for the network infrastructure, the cost of which will be covered by the PSC funding.

The NHA is playing a key role in the network’s development by coordinating hospital participation and resources. The statewide network will bring Nebraska hospitals together to form a single, connected system with numerous practical applications for health care providers. The network can be used for patient consultations, trauma care, as well as continuing education and professional development for doctors and nurses.

Robert Driewer, President of the NHA and CEO of Faith Regional Hospital in Norfolk, said, "This network will give the smallest and most remote of our hospitals the opportunity to tap into medical personnel and information available anywhere in the state. This network has the potential not only to enhance patient care, but to help us address the nursing shortage, provide continuing education for rural doctors, and extend the reach of mental health practitioners into areas of the state without such services.”

Additional partners include the University of Nebraska system, Nebraska’s 20 local public health districts, the Nebraska Information Technology Commission, the Nebraska Division of Communications, the Nebraska Department of Education, the Nebraska Medical Association, and the Nebraska Information Network.

J.B. Milliken, president of the University of Nebraska, said, “This new network is the answer to a longstanding desire to be able to provide the resources of UNMC to health care professionals and local health departments across the state. We can now provide diagnostic and consultative services in real time. The most important implication, however, is that health care for Nebraska citizens will be markedly improved.”

The Nebraska Statewide Telehealth Network will link 120 endpoints through telephonic or fiber optic connections that allow point-to-point and multi-point video communications. It will utilize a private network that does not involve commercial Internet or Voice Over IP technology.

Nebraska is not the first state to develop a telehealth network. However, Nebraska’s network is expected to involve more endpoints and utilize more advanced technology than other existing statewide networks. The implementation goal is to connect every hospital in the state by mid-2005 and all 120 endpoints, including public health departments and labs, by 2006.