To promote state-wide collaboration in the educational and research programs of the University of Arizona's Health Sciences Center (AHSC) through expanding network connectivity of Arizona's hospitals (Good Samaritan, Saint Joseph's, Maricopa County Medical Center, Arizona State University, Tucson Medical Center, Veterans Administration Hospital, University of Arizona) and other health- related institutions by: 1. providing individual connections to the Internet via leased telephone lines for major non-University teaching hospitals affiliated with the AHSC, and 2. providng dial up access to the Internet for an initial demonstration group of rural teaching sites affiliated with the AHSC. 3. Each of the major non-University teaching hospitals affiliated with the AHSC has agreed to security and maintain a leased telephone line dedicated to the network connectivity described in this proposal. Grant funds would defray the hardware costs for initiating this connection. 4. A modem bank will be established at the AHSC, through which dial-up access to the Internet will be available at no cost to rural practioners and teaching sites. 5. The co-investigators will promote and support the use of this new statewide connectivity, and foster its continued expansion.
