Great Connections for Fall 2018

GREAT Connections FALL 2018 5 equips us to work more efficiently. You have no idea how amazing this piece is to over- all performance,” Brockhaus notes. She adds, “What we appreciate most about Great Plains Communications is the minimal downtime. I can count on one hand howmany times we’ve been down, and it’s usually just for a matter of minutes. I also appreciate that Great Plains Communications is always ready to assist SRMC when we need to expand our Internet services. We get calls from other health care facilities asking who we use for our dedicated fiber line, and we enthusiastically refer them to Great Plains Communications.” Telemedicine is Coming What does Brockhaus expect “the next big thing” in technology to be for SRMC? She replies, “It will be telemedicine. SRMC is working on getting remote sites set up in the small towns around Sidney so patients will be able to go to these towns and ‘visit’ a primary care provider through the Internet. We’re also working on providing patients with the ability to stay at home and interact with a provider via their phone, tablet or computer. The ultimate goal is to enable patients to use telemedicine as an alternative to having to travel to a large city for specialty services. When patients see their local primary care provider, we’ll be able to block out an extra amount of time, have web cameras in the exam room, and include both the primary care provider and the spe- cialist on a video call. Telemedicine is more convenient for the patient and expands access to specialty services.” NASA Helped Propel Telemedicine Forward The National Aeronautics and Space Administra- tion (NASA) has contributed to the advancement of telemedicine. Before humans were even sent into space, the agency used medical systems to monitor the biometric data of space-exploring animals and send it back to Earth. Later, similar systems were used to monitor the condition of humans on space missions and provide diagno- ses during medical emergencies. Distance medicine is particularly useful for astronauts stationed in space for sustained periods (such as on the International Space Station). In addition to monitoring and diagnosing, physicians can now remotely treat people. For example, one machine that uses ultrasound technology can help stop internal bleeding. Another device helps slow the rate of bone loss (a common problem in space). NASA’s efforts, in conjunction with other organizations, have also focused on develop- ing telemedicine for use on Earth, such as in natural disaster zones. Having our own dedicated fiber line from Great Plains Communications that connects all of our facilities is a huge factor for SRMC. It allows us to have one data center and equips us to work more efficiently.” — JENNIFER BROCKHAUS , CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, SIDNEY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

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