Brooks Memorial Hospital's long term objective for this project is to increase hospital wide access to all that the Internet has to offer, while at the same time maintaining and enhancing network security. As hospitals enter the new century, it is becoming more and more evident that they must stay on top of technological advances if they are to survive in the constantly changing and increasingly difficult healthcare environment.
The specific aims of this application, which will be facilitated through the expansion of a secure connection, are as follows: 1) To establish a fractional Tl connection to the Internet to allow Internet access from any Internet-ready PC within the hospital. 2) To install a firewall application to allow secure access to the Internet and a method to track internal usage. Without a firewall, none of the other aims contained in this proposal are feasible. 3) To increase and expand timely access to medical information throughout the hospital by connecting all existing PC?s to the Internet, by creating a Staff Internet Training Lab within the hospital, and by purchasing additional Internet-ready PC's and placing them in clinical areas on each floor of the hospital. Expanded access would allow 24-hour availability and instant access to the most up to date medical information, including medical databases such as Medline Plus, PubMed, Internet Grateful Med and MEDLARS. 4) To provide Internet training to key hospital personnel who would then provide specifically tailored Internet training to all other hospital users. 5) To expand the professional education sites and communication capabilities for healthcare professionals throughout the hospital in areas such as distance learning, professional licensing, regulatory and professional association websites. 6) To improve patient education, community outreach, and community wellness activities that originate within the hospital. This would assist the hospital in fulfilling its mission to provide our community with quality, professional healthcare services including wellness and optimal health status.
