Geisinger's wide-area-network (GEN), linking the three main Geisinger campuses, will be complete in the fall of 1992. While the primary function of GEN is to support clinical activity, i.e., appointment, schedules, billing, purchasing, etc., with an INTERNET connection, GEN's functionality can expand to encompass Geisinger's research and education missions as well. Given access to the many resources available through an INTERNET connection, Geisinger research scientists, clinicians, and educators can work as though they are at one of the major medical academic centers in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh instead of in scenic, but isolated, rural noncentral or northeastern Pennsylvania. With and INTERNET connection at Geisinger, pharmacists will be able to exchange protocols for new drugs, scientists can query their colleagues at other institutions for protein purification techniques, authors can submit and revise manuscripts electronically, physicians participating in clinical trials or protocols can log patient-care information, receive updates, and share concerns without leaving their offices, students can stay in touch with their home universities, and librarians can transmit and receive documents and other information required by all of those listed above with greater efficiency and speed.
