Day 7: Improving health outcomes with NCTNA and MCNC
The partnership between MCNC and the North Carolina Telehealth Network Association (NCTNA) has transformed and significantly improved connectivity for health care providers all across North Carolina, enhancing both the quality and reach of patient services. Leveraging MCNC’s extensive fiber-optic network and decades of technology expertise, NCTNA delivers high-speed, secure broadband connectivity tailored to the rigorous and demanding needs of health care providers. This partnership has provided high-capacity, high-performance networking solutions that directly impact the effectiveness and accessibility of care for patients throughout the state.
Comprehensive Network and Technology Solutions
Since 2010, MCNC has delivered a fully managed suite of network and security services for the NCTNA, including installation, 24x7x365 client support, maintenance, proactive performance monitoring and management, and real-time reporting of service-level metrics. By also collaborating with the North Carolina Department of Information Technology and other private telecom carriers, MCNC continues to ensure that these services meet or exceed NCTNA’s requirements at an affordable cost, making critical telehealth infrastructure widely accessible.
With NCTNA and MCNC fiber, healthcare providers enjoy a dedicated connection – meaning the connection is not shared as it is when working with commercial providers. Subscriber traffic travels over the NCTNA intranet, not the shared public internet. For multi-facility healthcare providers, like larger health care systems, dedicated broadband allows a secure connection from one facility to another. This ensures consistent connection and allows information to be shared easily between the system’s locations. This is fundamentally different from a traditional internet service provider.
Broadband Backbone for 21st Century Health Care
MCNC’s world-class fiber network provides the robust infrastructure necessary for delivering modern health care that increasingly depends on Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), and other Internet enabled technologies.
NCTNA works with MCNC to provide broadband to public health clinics and nonprofit hospitals throughout the state. NCTNA Chief Executive Officer Tracy Olson highlights the essential role of broadband in modern health care operations, including internal processes, information sharing among providers, and the practice of telehealth.
“From its inception, the NCTNA has partnered with MCNC to provide the best broadband possible for rural health care providers in North Carolina,” Olson explains. “Progress has been made, but a real digital divide continues to exist, in part because significant regions of North Carolina remain without the broadband infrastructure they need.”
Success Story: Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center
The Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center (RCCHC) is a great example of the power of broadband connectivity in rural areas. RCCHC uses a Patient-Provider Telehealth Network (PPTN) model, where providers tailor health education, monitoring frequency, and technology needs for each patient. RCCHC telehealth nurses access patients’ electronic medical records and collaborate with primary care physicians. When critical health indicators fall outside of patient-specific parameters, rapid provider and nurse intervention ensures early detection and care.
Community Discount Guarantee Program
In 2019, NCTNA became a non-profit 501c3 corporation and established a board of health care industry leaders and subscribers. With the guidance of the board, the NCTNA began to better identify and anticipate the needs of many different types of health care organizations. NCTNA subscribers enjoy up to 65 percent discounts on their broadband connectivity services by way of funds secured from the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF). In the past, when the HCF program exceeded the cap on discounts, subscribers were left with long funding approval delays and pro-rated discounts. While larger hospital systems can rely on reimbursements when delays occur, these situations often have a greater impact on smaller health care providers. Thus, the Community Discount Guarantee (CDG) Program was created. Learn how CDG discounts work.
Designed for Secure and Reliable Delivery
Designed and operated to meet the demanding and secure needs of health care providers, MCNC’s services ensure a consistent and dependable solution for the NCTNA, enabling health care organizations to serve their patients with the right care, at the right place, at the right time, and at the right cost. Together, this partnership empowers health care providers throughout North Carolina with the tools and infrastructure necessary to deliver comprehensive, patient centered, and affordable care.
