The National Library of Medicine Internet Connection Grant will supply the California College of Podiatric Medicine (CCPM) and the San Francisco College of Osteopathic Medicine of Touro University (SFCOM) with seed money to provide Internet connection to affiliated clinics and hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area, Indian Health Service facilities in Arizona and New Mexico, the CCPM Southern Campus, in Los Angeles, California, and its Southwest Campus in Phoenix, Arizona. SFCOM is a newly accredited osteopathic medical school sharing the facilities, basic science curriculum, and infrastructure of CCPM in a unique strategic alliance. In early 1997, the CCPM campus was networked. This has enabled faculty, staff, and students to use internal and external E-mail, share files, and access databases and the Internet. However, the college's off-campus sites are not yet able to take advantage of the many uses of the network because they do not have Internet connection. Through Internet connectivity, everyone from students located in the remote clinics of New Mexico, to faculty at LA County Hospital will be able to take advantage of the many valuable services the Internet provides. Preventing lower extremity amputations among Native Americans with diabetes, a Healthy People 2000 goal is a major focus of the CCPM pediatric medical programs at IHS hospitals and clinics throughout Arizona and New Mexico. Internet access at these rural sites will greatly aid the faculty, physicians, residents and students by having access to information and doing research on this subject. In addition, they will be able to communicate with the faculty at other CCPM locations who are currently involved in similar podiatric medical programs.
